


Elysian

by Layora88



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Artist Steve Rogers, Baby-Daddy Steve Rogers, Bookshop Owner OC, Bottom Steve Rogers, Bruises, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Child bathing, Complications during childbirth, Confessions, Daddy Bucky, Daddy Kink, Dirty Talk, Disney Movies, Everything will be beautiful and nothing will hurt eventually, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Grieving for the past, Guilt, Guilty Bailey, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra, Injury, Kidnapping, Kind Shop Owner OFC, Lotteries, Love of books, M/M, Making Dinner Together, Married Couple Steve and Bucky, Mention of childbirth, Mentions of Bucky's time in captivity, Mentions of potential experiments on the serum, Mild Injury, My own timeline because I said so, Pining, Polyamory Mention, Post-Battle of New York (Marvel), Promise, Renovation/Painting a Bookshop, Rescue, Rescue Mission, SHIELD, Soft Peter Parker, Starbucks because...Starbucks, Steve Recovering, Steve is pissed, Steve's sad song and dance, Struggling Steve, Sweet Steve, Talking about the death of a mother and father, Team as Family, Top Bucky Barnes, Understanding Bucky, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, besotted steve, bucky's hurt, child harm, eventual happy ending i swear, he's okay though, kind steve, sad Steve, safe sex, stupid Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:14:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 130,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22366993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layora88/pseuds/Layora88
Summary: Steve's...adjusting. To wake up in a time where he doesn't feel like himself, doesn't know what to expect and is-well, sort of lost? It's a lot to handle.But, he's handling it. Sort of. Until he sets foot in a Starbucks for the first time and doesn't know what to make of the array of drinks, the sheer amount of choices and the-goddamn-prices!Enter > Sweet Bailey and her fluffy puppy.Ps. I'm bad at summaries. Haha, hope you enjoy it anyway. <3
Relationships: Minor Tony Stark/Peter Parker; if you squint?, Past Steve Rogers/James "Bucky" Barnes, Present Steve Rogers/James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 115
Kudos: 184
Collections: R’s reads





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so...releasing this in a few parts. It's...unfinished, surprise, surprise. But, I'm working on it, I swear. I've already written like..40k so far and the rest should come just as easy. I don't know where this idea came from but it did and I couldn't dismiss it, hence why this was...sort of hastily written and a few of my other works got put to the side. Sorry! <3 I will get back to our regularly scheduled programming, I swear...as soon as this is done.
> 
> I usually don't post under the 'locked to account' thing where people have to be users of AO3 to read certain stuff, but I thought I'd do that with this one. :shrugs: I dunno why. Anyway, enjoy. Please don't copy and paste to another site, either. 
> 
> I will update tags and characters as I see fit, so keep an eye open, but at the same time, I don't want to spoil too much so...I'll probably wait a while to finish tagging and you know, earn the rating I've given it.

_What the hell do I order?_ Steve wondered, steady blue gaze trained on the boards overhead. There was a very long list of…he supposed they were drinks but they had some rather strange names and _Christ,_ but the prices! He grimaced a little and was about to turn around and leave, his anxiety over what to order combined with the guilt of how much it was going to cost and the level of noise in the place and the _people_ and it was all just a little too much to handle, when a young woman bumped into his side.

“ _Oh_ , _sorry!_ ” She quickly apologized and Steve glanced down at her, ready to help set her to right if need be and wondering if she was okay.

She hadn’t bumped into him hard or anything, but his shoulders alone could unintentionally knock someone flying if they came at him too fast. And wasn’t that an absurd thought? He smiled his little apologetic smile and turned to look at her properly, an apology on the tip of his tongue when he finally made eye contact with the young woman.

His apology died in his throat as her bright dark eyes met his and then she was smiling up at him a little bashfully. It was a captivating smile. “ _Sorry,_ this place is a little cramped, didn’t mean to bump into you,” She apologized, voice soft and warm and-Steve still hadn’t apologized properly, too busy staring at this gorgeous brunette with waves for days and chocolate doe-like eyes.

“Uh, not your fault, miss, _really_ ,” He insisted, finally having found his voice. “I’m taking up too much space and time trying to decide what I want to order and-“ He cut himself off with a wry sort of smile at his rambling; thinking of _space_ and _time_ in a crowded coffee shop, not a good idea.

The young woman laughed lightly and nodded, her dark waves shifting lightly against the lapels of her forest green pea coat at the motion. She turned her own attention to the boards above where the three baristas were running around with their metaphorical heads cut off and Steve was left to stare at her in a sort of dumbfounded stupor.

“ _Oh_ , I know what you mean,” She sighed, blowing an errant lock from her face. “This place is pretty crazy, what with all the different kinds of coffees and then all the stuff that _isn’t_ coffee but sounds like it _should_ have coffee in it and then the breakfast treats and the _sweets,_ don’t get me started on the sweets,” She laughed again and Steve’s gaze really hadn’t left her in the first place but he had the inexplicable sense that he wouldn’t be able to ever look away.

She was lovely, pretty in a way he hadn’t quite seen before. She had slightly darker skin that made him think she might be European and she was young, so young. Perhaps 19 or 20 but there was something about her eyes- _her smile-_ that had him feeling drawn to her and what the-he hadn’t even _talked_ to her yet!

She had a wonderfully soft laugh though, a little exasperated, a little hopeful and a lot sweet and he shook his head in an attempt to clear it wondering, _who is this woman and why the hell am I being so weird?_ He ignored the little voice in the back of his head that suspiciously sounded like Bucky saying, _it’s a woman Stevie, are you really at that surprised? You never could talk to ‘em._

“Is this your first time?” She asked, startling Steve out of his thoughts and his brain did a strange sort of thing in that moment; it came to a grinding halt.

“ _Pardon?_ ” He blurted, rather flabbergasted; first time talking to a woman? _Might as well be,_ he thought wryly, Bucky’s snicker echoing faintly in his skull.

She blinked and then she was tilting her head slightly as she turned to survey him and was he crazy or did he see the beginnings of a cheeky smile there?

“First time at _Starbucks?_ ” She queried and _yep,_ Steve’s brain finally caught up.

“ _Oh!_ Yeah, uh, _yes_ …it’s my first time at _Starbucks_ ,” He agreed, a fierce blush working its way over his cheeks; he really wished he’d worn a scarf, maybe then he could have hidden some of the no doubt horrendous flush he could feel racing down his throat.

And now she really _was_ giving him a cheeky smile and somehow it wasn’t patronizing or overly teasing, though she was clearly thinking about teasing him for his momentary lapse. She definitely wouldn’t be the first person to do so, either so it’s not like he could blame her. He was an easy target, always had been, always would be.

“Well, then maybe I can be of assistance, if you’d like,” She offered, glancing back to the board.

Steve nodded as he caught her looking at him out of the corner of her dark brown eye before focusing on the front again. He tried valiantly to will the flush from his cheeks and maybe only succeeded a little bit. “Sure, that uh-that would be really helpful,” He admitted, relaxing a fraction as she smiled and nodded her head.

“Okay, _so_ , what kind of coffee do you like? Strong, medium or a lighter roast? And do you prefer espresso? Like, one or two shots?”

Steve shifted awkwardly and adjusted his leather jacket just for something to do with his hands. “Those are _uh_ …options?”

The woman’s brows furrowed as she turned her attention back to him. She looked him over, though her gaze remained trained on his face and Steve was beginning to feel rather naked in the face of her stare. “You really are new at this,” She said, voice softer than he imagined she thought he could hear.

Instead of having much time to dwell on what was sure to be yet another failed attempt at a human conversation, she cut it short by smiling at him and then clapped her hands together, the sound muted by the leather of her black gloves…and that’s when he noticed the leash wound around her wrist. He blinked, gaze straying lower and saw that she was accompanied by a…very strange looking animal. Though he was pretty sure it was a dog of some kind. _Huh._

He didn’t get much time to say anything to that, however, before she was off again and it was all business. “Okay, _so_ , you’re new to coffee, which is obviously not a problem. Do you like sugary sweet stuff, more mild or no sweetness at all?”

“Um…” He thought about it for a moment.

Since…waking up-for lack of a better term-he’d found everything to be too sweet, so maybe sweet wasn’t the way to go, but he did like just a _little_ sweetness in his treats and lord knows the coffee he did used to have and any of the stuff he’d had the last few weeks…well, they hadn’t been all that sweet, so used to drinking black coffee from… _before_ , that he just hadn’t bothered trying anything new yet.

“Maybe just a little bit sweet,” He conceded and she seemed oddly happy with his response, nodding and smiling as she turned her attention back to the boards.

“Right then and what about milk? Do you like a little bit of milk or lots of milk? Almond milk or coconut milk?” She asked and Steve tried not to hover too close to her, despite really wanting to be in her space.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so drawn to someone, especially a woman. Well, maybe he could…didn’t mean he really wanted to, not right then. He blew out a slow breath and smiled gently, these were simple enough questions, he could do this. Carry on a normal human conversation like a _normal_ person and not some semi-unstable-

“Lots of milk,” He interrupted his inner monologue, afraid to go down that rabbit hole first thing on a Monday morning in the middle of a busy coffee shop. “I think and uh, I’ve never had almond or…coconut milk before. Didn’t even know those were things to be had.”

The young woman hummed, the soft pleased sound making Steve’s cheeks flush after he’d managed to calm them a bit. His eyes darted away from her for only a moment as he attempted to collect himself and when he looked back to her, catching her side-profile as she concentrated on the menu board, his smile turned a little dopey. He _really_ hoped she wouldn’t notice he was so hopeless.

“And what about spices? Do you like cinnamon, maybe nutmeg, vanilla or cocoa?”

Steve blinked, he actually liked all those things. “I like all of those things, though…I do prefer cinnamon and nutmeg more so.”

A smile lit up the young woman’s face, ethereal in its beauty and as she turned her attention back to him, her dark eyes finding his bright blue ones- _Christ_ , but her smile was contagious-the way her cheeks rounded and that little crinkle at the corner of her eyes…she was far too adorable for words. “ _Really?_ Those are my favourites, nutmeg especially,” She went on and then she snapped one of her gloved fingers, the sound quite muted as her attention swung back to the board. “I know the exact drink for you,” She proclaimed and then stepped up to the counter.

Steve blinked in surprise, momentarily stunned by her young face and excited smile, the little dimples in her cheeks and the way those cute freckles stood out on her tanned skin, that he didn’t immediately realize what she was doing until it was too late. She handed over a twenty-dollar bill and Steve’s eyes widened in shock.

“ _Wait-_ “ He started to object, already reaching for his wallet but the young woman had completed the transaction and had moved over a foot to where a sign said, _pick-up_.

“ _Oh_ , don’t worry about it. _My treat_ ,” She told him upon realizing what he was on about, smiling at him and genuinely pleased either with herself or Steve’s sudden attempt to pay, he couldn’t be sure.

She was still smiling brightly at him though as she leaned her hip against the counter and Steve glanced down as her pup sat down beside her to patiently wait, tail wagging as he looked up at his owner in adoration. Steve knew the feeling, honestly, if he’d had a tail, it’d be wagging too. Steve blinked at the thought and mentally shook himself.

He was a little beside himself at the picture she presented, the gesture she’d made. No one had _treated_ _him_ like this in a…in a really long time. Not with this sort of kindness, not with this general sweetness and ease, no hero-worship or idolizing to be found here. There were no expectations of him in this conversation and yes she was being polite, but that was because she seemed to be a genuine sort of person. At least, that’s the impression he got from her; even if he’d only just met the woman, he somehow had a good feeling about her.

The sudden burn behind his eyes had him inhaling sharply at the threat of tears and he forced himself to walk those couple of steps towards her, ignoring the way his heart pounded behind his ribs. He knew he was smiling and succeeding in doing so without her being weirded out or anything, but he was sure she could see his lower lip wobble even as he struggled wholeheartedly to keep it still in the sudden rush of emotion he was experiencing.

“Thank you, you…you really didn’t have to do that,” He explained, still holding his wallet, _clutching_ it, more like.

The young woman merely shrugged, like it really was no big deal to her. Even when she’d seemingly turned his day upside-down just by being _kind._ “It’s my pleasure and besides, it’s always fun to get someone new hooked on caffeine,” She teased, winking at him for good measure.

Steve barked out a surprised laugh at that and her sweet smile turned cheeky once again. “Fair enough, think you’ll manage to convert me? I’ve only ever had crappy black coffee in my lifetime,” He chuckled, watching as she turned when one of the young men working behind the counter called out, “ _Bailey!_ ” And set down two cups on the counter in front of her.

_Bailey,_ a name to the very pretty face, _finally_. He swallowed hard. “Oh I think I’ll succeed with this,” She announced, extending one of the cups out to him, Steve accepting it gratefully.

She scooped up the other to-go cup and cradled it in her still gloved hand, the black leather leash still dangling from her wrist. “Want to have a seat?” She invited, gesturing towards the tables scattered throughout the place while looking up into his face with a sort of hopefulness that had his chest seizing with his next breath.

_Did_ he want to have a seat? He blinked, surprised at the question and he stumbled over his response for nearly a beat too long. He rushed to answer her when she started to apologize. “S-sure, that sounds nice,” He interrupted, smiling and nodding, perhaps a little too vigorously, but she barely hesitated before nodding as well as if that decided it.

She smiled a little easier then and Stevie felt a strange flutter in his stomach. Nerves were still a thing and he still couldn’t talk to women for shit, Bucky would be laughing his ass off, but of course that wouldn’t have been anything new. He tried not to dwell on that as he followed her towards a small table and watched as she slid into a chair, setting her coffee cup down and shrugging out of her coat. She was clad in a cream sweater, much too big for her, but somehow he was sure that was the look she’d been going for. It was a loose knit and looked comfy and cozy and with the colder weather he was sure it did the job of keeping her warm rather well.

Steve watched in stunned silence as she draped her coat over the back of her chair and suddenly shoved her gloved finger in her mouth. His eyes widened minutely at the gesture and then she was tugging off the glove with her teeth and then easily removing the other thereafter. He felt like a total creeper as she made herself more comfortable and Steve was…Steve was still standing there like an idiot _staring_ at her…and then his gaze slipped towards the dog who had taken up the space beside her chair, tail still wagging, his piercing blue eyes trained on him.

He was a spotty thing, not like a Dalmatian or anything. He had longer hair, sort of like a border collie, come to think of it, but somehow, _different._ He really liked the look of him. Read: _fluffy._

“Are you afraid of dogs?” The woman’s concerned voice filtered in and Steve blinked, glancing towards where she was watching him, brows pinched.

“Uh, oh no, _no,_ ” He quickly explained. “Sorry, I just…I’ve never seen a dog like that,” He told her, gingerly sitting down in the seat in front of her, unzipping his jacket but keeping it on and setting his own coffee down on the tabletop between them.

“This is Jack,” She introduced, her now bared hand settling atop the dog’s- _Jack’s-_ head. “And I’m Bailey,” She told him, thrusting her small hand out to him.

Steve blinked and found himself smiling as he reached to take her hand. He shook it-ever so carefully-and tried not to feel affected at the light contact, the warmth of her skin, nor the way his hand seemed to nearly envelop hers entirely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bailey. I’m Steve _._ ”

She hummed and he found himself shifting a little in his seat. He maybe liked that sound coming from her a little too much. This was _not the time._

“Nice to meet you, Steve and-“ She withdrew her hand when Steve reluctantly let it go and curled it around her take away cup. “Jack here is an Australian Shepherd.”

Steve nodded at the information, gaze trained back on the pup and he was clearly a pup, a little lanky and long limbed, still coming into his own. _Adorable,_ honestly. “He’s lovely,” Steve admitted. “May I?” He extended his hand, palm up and Bailey beamed at him.

“Of course, he’s very friendly, he’d make a terrible guard dog,” She laughed and Steve willed himself not to look back at her, afraid the smile she wore would somehow undo him.

“Hi Jack,” He murmured instead, carefully extending his hand towards the pup and was rathersurprised when he immediately plopped his head down on his open palm and closed his eyes.

Bailey laughed lightly and Steve glanced back towards her, unable to resist. “He’s a big suck,” She chuckled, propping her chin up in the palm of her hand, elbow on the table…she looked so… _sweet_ , her eyes… _endearing_ …Steve didn’t know what was _wrong with him!_

He sat up a little straighter and shifted his palm down to cup the underside of the pup’s snout, _scritching_ his fingers through the fur of his throat and melting when the pup leaned into him. “He’s really sweet,” He chuckled, voice quiet, thoughtful.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d pet a dog, perhaps it was that time in France, or maybe Germany. They’d found this mutt of a thing in one of the abandoned houses and it’d been friendly, but skittish. It took it a couple of days to warm up to them, but the little scraps of food sure helped.

“Yeah, he is,” She sighed fondly, picking up her coffee. “ _So_ , take a sip, tell me what you think. And if you hate it, that’s okay too, but I hope you like it.”

Steve smiled down at his coffee cup and raised it to his lips. He inhaled the scent of coffee, the steamed milk, cinnamon and _definitely_ nutmeg and breathed out slowly, savouring the scents. He closed his eyes and took a sip and-and it was _Heavenly._

He was groaning before he’d even _tasted_ the damn thing properly and wasn’t _that_ embarrassing? He tried to will the oncoming blush down and glanced across the table to where Bailey was smiling at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling endearingly so as she looked at him over the rim of her own coffee cup.

“ _Good?_ ” She prompted, voice nothing but a soft murmur.

Steve nodded, still blushing as he lowered his cup and met her gaze head-on. “It’s uh, it’s really good,” He admitted, smiling probably rather dopily at her as he glanced down to where Jack had crept closer, laying his head on his thigh and Steve couldn’t help idly running his fingers through his incredibly soft fur.

“I’m so glad you like it. It’s called a _flat white_ but I had it made with cinnamon and nutmeg mixed right into the milk. It’s one of my favourite drinks and it’s so light and frothy and yeah, bit of a sprinkle of vanilla and more nutmeg on top and it’s perfect,” She announced, chuckling softly. “It’s what I always order.”

Steve’s gaze softened, smiling kindly across at her. “It’s lovely, thank you. I was…definitely a little lost when I came in here,” He explained, a hint of laughter escaping him.

Bailey gave him a sympathetic smile. “It can be a little overwhelming, sure.”

“Yeah,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It uh, _Starbucks_ , I mean…was recommended to me.”

She hummed again, the sound so low, but he heard it and he really did try to ignore the stirring in his belly. This was certainly not the time or place for an inappropriate bodily reaction. _Ahem._ “It’s a big coffee chain,” She explained. “Their drinks are kind of expensive, but once in a while it’s a nice treat, I think, anyway.”

Steve nodded, glancing down to where he’d left his wallet next to his cup. “I can pay you for the coffee, you didn’t need to-“

“ _Nonsense-_ “ She said quickly, waving him off and there was light amusement in her tone right then. “It was nothing, _really_ ,” She insisted and Steve backed off, slipping his wallet into his coat pocket once more; he recognized that no-nonsense tone she was giving him well enough to know he wasn’t going to be paying her back for the coffee today.

“Alright, if you insist and thank you again,” He said, toying lightly with the edge of his cup. “I uh, probably should get going though.”

He needed to get back, sooner rather than later or he might be questioned and he really didn’t want to be questioned. _Not about this._ He swallowed thickly, blinking himself back into focus as his gaze settled back on the young woman in front of him.

“Of course,” She was smiling, but there was something off about her eyes now and he hated himself for taking that little sparkle from them. “Sorry I kept you.”

It dawned on him then that maybe she didn’t want him to leave just yet. His heart fluttered at the thought. “I-I wanted to be kept,” He tried to reassure, words nothing but a breathy rush.

He ducked his head a little in slight embarrassment at his eagerness and forced himself to look up at her through his lashes. He was rewarded with the sweetest blush spreading across her gorgeous features and Stevie’s heart beat a little faster at the sight. “I um…actually should be going soon too,” She appeared rather reluctant to leave herself right then. “I have an appointment with my realtor about a space for sale. Just up the street, actually.”

Steve blinked. She was moving nearby? “ _Oh?_ ”

She nodded, fiddling with her cup still as she glanced down to Jack who was still getting his light pets from Steve. “A little storefront. I’m opening up a bookshop, hopefully in the very near future. I just need to find the right space and she’s promised me that this is it.”

Stevie blinked in surprise at the information. “ _Really?_ That’s wonderful, I didn’t know that people still read _books_. I mean _I_ still read them, but-”

And in his surprise, he realized what he’d said and wasn’t sure what to say to make it right, to _explain himself_ but he didn’t really get the chance, nor was it apparently necessary. Bailey laughed, shaking her head and sending her light waves flying, a rueful smile on her pretty face. “I know, it’s sad the way that things are all turning into online print and don’t get me wrong, I still do read a lot of things online, but when it comes to a good book? Nothing beats having the real thing in my hands where I can feel the pages beneath my fingertips. It’s a treat and I think I could do well enough for myself with a little shop, try and bring reading back to the forefront. It’s a good hobby, a passion for some, like me,” She admitted, shrugging lightly.

Steve nodded in agreement. Online print, that had been something else entirely for him to grasp and he still definitely preferred to have a book in his hands whenever possible, despite what SHIELD tried to show him on a number of occasions.

“I think that sounds lovely. Actually, back in-“ He stopped himself and swallowed bad what he’d been about to say and tried again. “Well, I recall a couple of bookshops where it wasn’t just about the books, you know? It was a space for people to gather and share what they love, there were reading groups and reading lessons. It was just a nice, calming atmosphere.”

Bailey was nodding, her dark eyes so round and wide. “ _Right?_ I’ve always wanted to create a space like that. A place where anyone can come and learn, have fun and- _and_ I’m talking too much,” She laughed, shaking her head a little bashfully.

Steve smiled, murmuring a soft disagreement but she was already pushing up her sweater to look at her watch. “ _Aaand_ now I need to get going,” She sighed, looking up at him reluctantly as she slipped into her jacket.

He was treated to the sight of her sweater riding up slightly as she slipped into her coat and though he didn’t catch a glimpse of her skin, he did get to see the curve of where thigh met buttocks and he huffed a little through his nose. _Leggings, whose bright idea-?_ Steve tried to keep his face from falling too noticeably as she started doing up the toggles on her coat. He really did have to get back as well, however. “Oh, right, me too,” He agreed, rather reluctant himself as he stood, watching as Jack looked between them eagerly, perhaps thinking they were going to take him someplace fun.

Bailey pulled on her gloves and readjusted the leash, though Jack seemed to be rather well behaved and it was just a formality at this point. It was only a minute or so before they’d stepped outside together and Steve looked down at her as they both seemed in no rush to leave. He didn’t exactly have to look _too_ far down at her. She was taller than most women he knew. She must be 5”8 or so, nearing 5”9 and slender as anything. He was used to curves in a woman, at least in his time, but uh…he did like what he saw in her and okay, so she was _young_ , but-

“I uh, have to head this way,” Steve explained, jerking his thumb over his shoulder as he derailed his thoughts.

Bailey nodded, biting her lower lip a little as she looked up at him, seemingly unable to look away. It was a distracting sight. _She_ was a distracting sight. “ _Right_ and I have to-“ She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, in the opposite direction.

“It…it was nice to meet you, Bailey…” He trailed off, hopeful for more information about this young woman.

“ _Varvaro_ ,” She said, filling in the blank for him. “My last name…”

_Italian then,_ he thought before breathing out, “I’m uh, Steven _Grant_ ,” He only half-lied, but really, SHIELD made him do it.

“Well, _Steven Grant,_ ” She smiled, a little bit of that cheekiness creeping back into her voice. “I’d better get going, but um, maybe I’ll see you around?” And she phrased it as a question, sure, but her voice was tinged with a sort of hopefulness that had him breathing out shakily.

Steve was nodding before he’d even given himself permission to do so. “Yeah, I’m-I’m close by. I’m sure I’ll be back into _Starbucks…_ and I’ll keep an eye open for your bookshop, wh-what was its name going to be?”

“ _Elysian,_ ” She breathed, the word falling from her lips like freshly falling snow, a gentle smile on her face and before Steve had a chance to ask what that word meant, a cellphone was ringing, startling him.

She apologized, reaching into her coat pocket for her phone and glancing to him apologetically. “I’m sorry, Steve. I-it really was nice meeting you,” She went on, reluctant to go clearly, but she was smiling sweetly as she gestured with her phone, already walking backwards in the opposite direction.

“It was nice meeting you too,” He called softly, smiling at her as she waved as best she could with a hand full of coffee-cup and the other busy shoving her cellphone to her ear.

He watched as Jack seemed to hesitate before bouncing around by her feet and she laughed lightly when he jumped up and barked, trying to get her to acknowledge him. Steve was enamoured as she leant over to press a kiss to the pup’s head without spilling her coffee or dropping her phone, which seemed like quite the feat to him.

Steve was smiling fondly as he looked down at his coffee cup cradled in his hand and he knew he probably looked like quite the idiot, but he couldn’t help it just then. When he looked back up, she was farther down the street and when she started to turn her head to look over her shoulder for him, he pretended to be turning to walk in the other direction…and then actually did.

He shook his head when he was sure to be out of her sight and breathed deeply as he struggled with All smiles and genuine laughter that had him feeling a little lost. Something he usually felt a lot nowadays, but…this had been different. She didn’t look at him as if he was someone to be _pitied_. She looked at him as someone _human_ , someone who just hadn’t…tried a fancy coffee before, is all. It was-he swallowed hard. It was nice.

He inhaled shakily as he made his way back towards SHIELD. They’d just moved him into an apartment last week and he was supposed to make regular check-ins with Fury and subsequently, SHIELD. He wasn’t exactly back from the dead yet, at least not entirely. They’d set him up with an apartment, some money, a bank account even and basic necessities. Even a few things he wasn’t exactly in need of, like the surveillance cameras and the mics he’d found scattered throughout the apartment; all of which he’d left exactly where they were as he busied himself around the place. If they wanted to listen to him watch television or cook dinner, then that was just fine by him, for now.

He disliked using the cellphone they’d given him, unable to make sense of a lot of the features or anything that was more complicated than dialling a number. And the _texting thing_ , don’t even get him started on that. He’d been told he could even look up things on his phone, but he’d opted for visiting a Library whenever he could instead, not wanting SHIELD to know everything about him…even if it felt like they somehow did anyway. Somehow _everyone_ knew more about him than he’d ever imagined possible. He’d visited the _Smithsonian_ and… _well,_ it’d been an experience, that was for sure. One he was in absolutely no hurry to go through again. He’d already planned on making several changes to the exhibit, if he would be granted the opportunity, however.

He was… _adjusting_ …as best he was able, given the circumstances. He thought so anyway. It’d only been a little over three and a half weeks since he’d been out of the ice and he’d spent nearly the entirety of the first week feeling like a bug under a microscope. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but it was one he was accustomed to. Eventually they let him…well, _go,_ sort of. They’d given him a place to live, asked that he keep a low profile until they were ready to make a statement, to bring him back to life on national television, essentially. But they thought he needed a little more time to adjust before they did any such thing. He appreciated that much, at least. There weren’t exactly any world wars at the moment, so he figured he was in the clear for the time being.

He’d remained in a sort of daze as he went through his check in, routine by this point and it was fine, _really_. He knew they just wanted to see how he was managing and such, any questions and the like he needed answered. After he left SHIELD, with explicit instructions to meet with his therapist the next morning- _which_ , he wouldn’t-he made his way towards the local Library.

He had a word he needed to look up.

.

“ _Huh,_ ” He whispered, head tilted slightly in thought as he stared at the page before him.

_Elysian;_ _blissful or delightful, celestial, heavenly, ethereal, at peace._ Steve breathed out slowly and carefully closed the dictionary enjoying the weight of it in his hand. That was a…that was a word and a half, now wasn’t it? He let himself think about it, about Bailey, about the coffee he still felt clinging to the back of his teeth, making his mouth feel fuzzy with it. He’d enjoyed the coffee; all through his check-in too. A few people had commented, said their _hello’s_ as he passed them in the hallways, asked him how he liked his coffee these days, but most seemed to be excited about the fact that he’d tried _Starbucks_ at all.

He was sure there’d be a surplus of visits to the coffee shop in the coming days thanks to his own visit. He took a little pride in knowing that whenever they asked him what he’d ordered, he didn’t lie exactly, but he didn’t tell them the whole truth, either.

“ _Just a flat white,_ ” He’d murmured, to which most of their responses were, “ _Aw, I would have pegged you for an Americano kind of guy._ ”

Steve had tried very hard not to roll his eyes at that. He maybe didn’t know what an Americano _was_ , but he surely wouldn’t be ordering it based on the name alone, not now, anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve was getting better at the internet, if he did say so himself. Maybe not like, genius level smart about it, but he could navigate the world wide web just fine these days. It didn’t take long for him to find _FaceBook_ , nor did it take him long to find Bailey Varvaro. Even if he could only see her name and profile picture and a few of her friends faces, it was still okay. He already felt like a pretty terrible creeper at this point, he didn’t need to feel any worse.

He didn’t want to create a _FaceBook_ page of his own, so he’d eventually gotten in the habit of searching for new local bookstores instead. He hadn’t found anything online in the few days after he’d run into her and he figured it might be a while until it opened, so, he decided to do some legwork of his own. It’d been just over a week since he’d met the young woman and he didn’t think he’d ever managed to connect with someone so quickly before and he really hoped it hadn’t been entirely one-sided. She had just been so damn sweet, _kind_ and-he really needed to get a handle on this. He’d not had a deep conversation with her, he really didn’t even _know her_ and yet…and _yet._ It both unnerved and intrigued him, his response to meeting her.

He wondered if it was because she looked like Peggy…well, a little bit. Actually, she really didn’t look anything physically like Peggy. Sure, she was a woman, brunette, she was taller than Peggy though and she was rather trim, not so curvy, not that he could really know that for sure, what with her having wearing that oversized sweater, even her coat had been rather long, so he’d not been able to see much of her legs, exactly. Though, from what he recalled, she’d been quite thin there too, with tall black rain boots that came up to her knee. But it didn’t _matter_ because she _wasn’t_ Peggy. She was sweet and kind and cheeky and okay, so, maybe Peggy was those things too, but she’d been _different._

He hadn’t been able to stop _thinking_ about her though and that was a lot for him to handle. Because he was pretty sure he should be dedicating his thought processes to other pressing issues, like…grieving and moving on in a healthy fashion. He breathed out roughly. He’d grieved, some. Before he’d gone into the ice, a little. When he’d…been laying there in the hollowness of that plane, the sound of wind gusting around him, the cold seeping in…

He’d grieved and thought he would die too. In a way he had, just…he hadn’t _stayed_ dead. He grimaced at the thought. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory and it came in fits and starts most days. He couldn’t remember much of what happened after he’d crashed the plane, but even that was too much sometimes to bear. Either way, he wasn’t ready to grieve in this century, even if he had had more than a few rough nights in the privacy of his own bathroom, the sink running full blast, the fan and shower too to cover the sound of his sobs in case SHIELD was listening and surely they were. Waiting for him to show weakness so that they could swoop in and take away the shield. That was stupid, they wouldn’t do that. He-he wouldn’t let them. Probably.

He’d been asked, how he felt going back out there. Picking up the shield again and the mantle, all that Captain America stood for. He’d not taken much time to think that one over. He’s said _yes, Sir_ before Fury had even finished asking. It wasn’t his choice, as far as he was concerned. He was here and if he was needed, he would do what was right. If there was one thing he had left in him, it was the will to do what was right.

Regardless of all that, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking of the woman- _Bailey_ -and maybe it was simply because she had been kind to him and genuinely so that he felt so drawn to her. People had been nice to him since he’d come back, but it was different. Some tried to be helpful and ended up coming across as patronizing and insincere, though mostly SHIELD employees, he’d also been given a condescending eye from a couple of people at the Library when he’d asked for assistance on the computers. But Bailey hadn’t been like that at all with him. She’d been patient _and_ she’d even _teased_ him. No one tried to do that with him. Not the people at SHIELD who knew who he was and sure as hell not strangers; he was pretty sure they were all too intimidated by his stature or genuinely too afraid of him to do so. Which was just bizarre, if you really thought about it. It’s not as if he went around with a constant _scowl_ on his face. At least, he didn’t think he did.

He sighed wistfully. He’d missed being teased. The _Howlies_ used to tease him mercilessly…Bucky too. He swallowed roughly at the thought. He’d grieved for Bucky, he _had,_ back before the ice, but he…he hadn’t truly _finished_ grieving for his best friend…his lover. He’d not given himself time here to grieve either, too afraid to stop and think, to dwell on all those he had lost, those he had left behind; even if he had been the one left. It was too big a loss to even begin to think of confronting just yet. He would, he knew he would, in time. SHIELD kept insisting he go to therapy to start the process, to talk things out, but he kept putting it off, stating that he would go soon, he just needed a bit more time.

They hadn’t been happy about it, but it’s not like they could kidnap him and force him to go to therapy, so…Steve would go when he was good and ready and that was that.

.

Several days later and Steve still hadn’t run into the mysterious Bailey again at the coffee shop, but, he’d only managed to step foot inside the place on two other occasions, so maybe eventually he would, but not yet. He hoped he wouldn’t be overstepping, looking for her like this, but there was just something about her that had him wanting to know _more._

He let himself look around as he walked along just over a week and a half later, a mere block away from the _Starbucks_ he’d begun to frequent. His head was always on a swivel these days and as he walked along in the same direction he’d watched her go several days earlier, it was no different. The street was busy, that hadn’t changed since he was last here. New York was always busy of course. Steve used to like it, even now, sometimes he did. When he wanted to blend in, he could. He wondered if that would change for him in the coming days. They still didn’t have a date yet for this supposed press conference. But there would be a date soon enough. Of that he was sure.

Steve shook himself a little and glanced towards the other side of the street, scanning the store fronts. Most of the spaces were full of customers, little coffee shops, bakeries, grocery stores, speciality clothing stores, jewelry shops. There were kids holding parents hands, old and young couples walking side by side, people walking their dogs. It was loud too, horns honking, tires screeching, car doors slamming. He sighed and that’s when he caught sight of it; the papered over windows of one of the storefronts.

He stopped, smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk, gawking like a tourist, probably. He was jostled, but he barely noticed it, big as he was. He apologized anyway and moved to the edge of the sidewalk before looking both ways, waiting for the light to change to allow them safe passage across.

He started walking when everyone else did s moment later and it didn’t take long for him to reach the other side. He glanced up and down the street, wondering if he shouldn’t just turn around and go home, worried he was overstepping. He was probably being followed, at least, he was pretty sure he was being followed, most days. They’d usually only tail him to the grocery store, sometimes to the coffee shop. Just…keeping a watchful eye on him.Though, he didn’t exactly feel that tell-tale prickle at the back of his neck this morning. He really should just go home, though-

_You can’t very well go home, now can you?_

He frowned at the errant thought. There wasn’t a home anymore, not even the little apartment SHIELD had given him could be called home. _Hell_ , he didn’t much in the way of belongings and he hadn’t even furnished the place himself, everything already provided for him without his input. He shook himself free of the unwanted thoughts and let his eyes settle back on the papered shop front. He could hear noises inside, someone singing, the sound of a dog barking, _laughter._

He closed his eyes and smiled softly to himself. That was laughter he recognized, laughter he wasn’t sure he could possibly forget. He could see two of the windows cracked open, but couldn’t see inside as they opened from the bottom outward, but he could smell paint. He glanced up the length of the building and noted that it was only two stories. It looked to be a residence upstairs, the windows cracked and opened outward there too and he wondered if she was merely renting the downstairs space for her shop or perhaps living upstairs too. He couldn’t see inside, what with the paper covering the main windows, but he could hear quite well. He wondered what colour she was painting the place, would she be wearing an apron covered in paint? Would her hands be stained with it like his were, once upon a time?

He glanced down the sidewalk when he heard a sudden shout and watched in dawning horror as a young girl let go of her mother’s hand and ran ahead-and out into traffic. Steve didn’t think, he reacted before his brain had even caught up with his body. He saw the cab coming, he saw the driver’s head turned to the left, focused elsewhere; the driver didn’t see the young girl in the street and she was young- _so young_ -laughing and skipping along, heedless of her mother calling her back. He couldn’t bear to-he was across the street without a thought to himself or his safety a moment later and there was shouting- _screaming-_ the young girl stopping in her tracks- _panicked-_ and a look of frightened horror flitting across her features at the sight of the car coming towards her. There was a car horn and Steve _breathed,_ because he had the child in is arms, the warmth of her cradled to his chest made his heart stutter behind his ribs.

She was wide-eyed and speechless in his arms and then instantly they were across the street, out of the car’s trajectory. He set her down carefully on the sidewalk and let his eyes scan her up and down, but she was going to be fine, just a bit shaken up. She was staring up at him with wide-eyed shock, white as a sheet, but otherwise unhurt. He knelt down on the sidewalk with her, his hands no longer wrapped around her, but they were close, hovering over her little shoulders, ready to cradle her again to him if need be.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re alright,” He consoled, finally looking around at the small crowd that had gathered. “Where’s your mum?”

The little girl started looking around frantically and then he heard the woman’s frantic cries from somewhere behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and when he saw the woman racing towards them, hands outstretched and fear etched across her brow, Steve stood up and moved to stand behind the young girl, a protective hand on the back of her head.

“Ma’am,” He greeted as the mother approached, but he was struck speechless when the mother dropped to her knees in front of them both and clutched at her daughter desperately.

“ _Thank you!_ ” She cried and Steve shook his head lightly, looking down at the pair with a furrowed brow.

“It was no trouble, ma’am,” He consoled, voice going soft as he watched a few people try and push in closer to see what was going on; the crowd was getting bigger.

“She could have been _killed_ , thank you, thank you so much!” The mother cried and Steve flushed at the attention, the woman now looking up at him with her daughter wrapped safely in her arms.

“I’m glad she’s alright,” He said, not sure what else to say to her frantic worry. “It was no trouble,” He repeated.

She was shaking her head, overrun with the relief of having her child safely in her arms again and Steve knew he needed to get away from the group of onlookers. SHIELD was surely watching and if people had questions-

“ _Steve?_ ”

Steve had taken a couple of steps back from the mother and her daughter when he heard the surprised voice. His head whipped around and he was met with Bailey, looking a little out of sorts in a pair of sweats, a pair of running shoes, a ratty looking grey t-shirt, jacket hastily thrown on and left unbuttoned and…covered in blue paint.

“ _Bailey_ ,” He said in surprise, flushing a little at her sudden appearance, prepared and somehow wholly unprepared to see her in such a state.

“Are you alright?” She asked worriedly, squeezing past the few onlookers who were starting to carry on with their day, her gaze flickering between him and the mother and daughter.

“ _Yeah-_ “ He breathed, blinking stupidly down at her. “I’m fine, so is-“ He gestured over his shoulder, but the mother and daughter were already walking away, the mother scolding the little girl something fierce.

Steve grimaced a bit and turned his attention back to Bailey, who wore a similar grimace as she watched them head off. “I heard the commotion, I was just-“ She gestured vaguely back to the way she’d come, adjusting her jacket a bit.

“You’re setting up shop here?” He queried, shifting out of the path of the morning commuters.

Bailey nodded, still a little surprised by whatever she’d managed to witness and Steve really wanted to move past this conversation if at all humanly possible. “Y-yes, just across the street there, actually.”

“That’s great,” He agreed, nodding and attempting to figure out what else to say to her. “It’s uh…it’s good to see you again.”

She blinked at him for a moment and then smiled lightly and seemed to realize all of a sudden what she must look like. He had to bite his tongue as he watched her try and smooth her hair down but realized she had it up in a less than perfect ponytail, high up on the literal _top_ of her head in a very strange looking way. He thought it was rather adorable, all things considered. “You too, um…did you want to stop by? I could show you the shop, if you want or you know, if you’re not in a hurry to go save another child’s life or anything,” She tried to aim for teasing, but it came out a little jittery, nervous.

Steve’s flush only deepened at that and he had to forcibly restrain himself from rubbing the back of his neck in his embarrassment. “Uh, nope, I’m not busy at all. I’d love to see the shop,” He admitted instead, giving her a slightly sheepish smile.

She laughed lightly at his obvious embarrassment, looking at him a little strangely, maybe surprised and a little incredulous as she gestured to the shop. “Come on over, I’ll put on a pot of coffee for us, sorry in advance. It won’t be quite like what we had in _Starbucks_ ,” She explained, her soft chuckle making his insides bloom with warmth.

He smiled back, a little tentatively and let her lead the way. “That sounds great and coffee would be lovely.”

She smiled over her shoulder at him as they waited to cross back over and soon she was letting him in through the papered up door. He huffed out a breath, startled when a wet nose prodded his hand. “ _Oh,_ hey Jack,” He greeted, bending down to give the pup’s head a good _scritch_ as the dog started practically _prancing_ around his feet.

Bailey laughed lightly as she maneuvered around the space, careful not to trip over Jack and Steve’s now crouched form as she closed the door behind them. “Told you he was a suck,” She chuckled, smiling as she turned to survey them, shrugging out of her coat and laying it down over a box.

“Aww, he’s just a good boy, aren’t you, bubbi, yes you are, _oh yes you are,_ ” He teased, scratching behind Jack’s ears and making him huff happily, tail wagging all the while.

Bailey fought down the urge to grin and knew she was probably doing a terrible job of it. She failed at masking her amused smile as she watched the pair, this giant of a man, gorgeous and sweet and built like a brick shit house, talking _puppy-talk_ to Jack. She shook her head at the thought, biting her bottom lip as she watched him be sweet to Jack.

That afternoon in the coffee shop she’d just had this, this _good_ feeling. She’d woken up late that morning and had been rushing around trying to get her paperwork in order for the meeting with the realtor and hadn’t had time to get a coffee, but the moment she’d stepped into _Starbucks_ , she’d known it was going to be a good day. She couldn’t say _how_ she knew it, she just did. She hadn’t felt like that since a very special morning a little over a year and a half ago and something in her gut told her to just go with it and see where it took her.

She’d been charmed by this young hunk of a man whose eyes seemed full of nervous energy, but filled with a kindness she couldn’t even begin to understand. He was shy and sweet, timid in his responses, for whatever reason. She thought he was somehow trying to take up as little space as possible while being pretty well the largest person in the room; in probably _any_ given room, in fact. It was his demeanour that drew her in at first and when she’d sat with him, she couldn’t help but notice the way he curled in on himself and felt drawn to him in a way she hadn’t ever experienced before. She’d not dated much over the years, too busy with her studies, helping her Dad with the house and the like. There just hadn’t been a lot of time to date, back then.

She wondered about him, wondered what would make such an attractive man-and he was attractive, easily the hottest man she’d ever had the pleasure of meeting-behave in such a way. But she’d never seen someone exude a tentativeness that should have been impossible for someone so, well, _large._ She’d left the cafe that day and was unable to stop thinking of him thereafter. She wondered if the feeling had been mutual.

There was just something about him, achingly familiar and yet not at all like anyone she’d ever met before, so it couldn’t have been a matter of bumping into him someplace else and besides, he hadn’t had any sort of recognition in her, so that surely wasn’t it. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter, he’d been sweet and shy and she’d wanted to follow him home and make sure he was being well looked after. Not that it was any of her business, but she wanted it to be.

She’d grappled with the thought for a little while and had eventually moved on, though not completely unable to stop thinking about the man. He hadn’t exactly asked for her number though, nor she, his. But, they’d both shared an interest in seeing each other again, she had been pretty sure about that. She’d not been able to head back into the coffee shop since early last week either, unfortunately; far too busy with the move and getting things ready with the shop.

She could have stayed where she was living and paid someone to come in and paint and what have you, but she had wanted to do that for herself. So, she’d moved in upstairs after quickly painting the place, technically, she wasn’t finished, but she’d get there. For now at least the bedroom was painted, the bathroom and the living room. All that was left was the kitchen, an office and laundry room, with a few extra odds and ends to put together.

She hadn’t really begun to unpack in earnest yet, but her belongings were limited enough in that other than the heavy furniture, they could be confined to the one bedroom and some of the living room. It was fine, she’d get to it eventually.

She’d been far more focused on readying the downstairs. She had plans to open the shop in mid April, which gave her plenty of time to do the work, it being mid February and all. She’d need to order the stock and merchandise the place which would take the bulk of her allotted time, however. She wanted to make it look warm and cozy, _inviting_. She wanted to order all kinds of things. In fact, her shopping carts on several sites were already brimming with possible orders. Now, she just needed somewhere to _put_ it all.

She’d been in touch with several book suppliers and had been promised an array of titles, all of which she’d done research into along with their authors. That was the easy stuff, picking the books, that is. Maybe the not so easy part of it was that she hoped she had enough _space_ for all of them.

She’d had a dream one night of the order finally coming in and there were just so many _books!_ They filled the shelves easily and then the display tables and suddenly she had stacks and stacks of them all around the place and even any free wall or floor space was suddenly being filled with even more books to the point it was hard to even move around the space. It wasn’t exactly a _bad_ dream, but she wondered at how well that would work exactly and had to laugh it off. You really never could have too many books anyway, it’d be _fine._

Her thoughts wandered back to the man before her, seeing him be so sweet and kind to her pup was adorable, truly. He stood up then, smiling at her a little bashfully as he realized he’d been caught out. “I love dogs,” He chuckled. “I haven’t uh, had one myself before, but they’re quite sweet. You know, unconditional love is hard to come by.”

Bailey smiled earnestly at that. She did know that. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Steve nodded again and let his gaze sweep around them, taking in the space. It wasn’t huge, by any means, a quaint size for a shop, but it looked big enough for what she hoped to use it for. He could see that clear plastic tarps covered a hard wood floor, dark mahogany perhaps, the walls a simple cream colour, save for one light blue wall in front of what looked like a checkout counter. There were a couple of small tables piled together with sheets draped over them for protection, but otherwise the rest of the space remained pretty bare, save for the checkout counter; already installed and covered with a clear plastic tarp too.

“Wow, this is quite the space,” He said, taking a careful step further inside.

“Um, thanks. It’s still definitely under construction. I mean, I’m painting and then cleanup, but once that’s done I’ll call the movers to bring over all the bookshelves. They made an error and started to deliver the tables already, but I said they could leave those for now, seeing as they’re so much smaller, so long as they could hold onto the bookshelves until I’m done tidying up the place,” She explained, watching as Steve moved about and feeling oddly self-conscious about it; she tried not to wring her hands.

“Makes sense…what’s going over here?” He asked, gesturing to the little alcove near the front windows, but not quite in front of them.

There was some kind of cutout in the wall. “Oh, I’m putting in an electric fireplace and there will be a couple of comfy chairs for people to sit and read, a coffee table too.”

Steve nodded, his smile growing. “That sounds great, what else do you have in mind for the layout?”

Bailey blinked, a little taken aback. “You want to know my plans for the shop?” She asked tentatively.

Steve nodded, eagerly even and Bailey nodded slowly as a timid smile stretched her lips. And then she became a whirlwind of movement. “Over here is going to be where we have a little coffee and tea station and then back here there will be a small desk and author’s chair for when we have book signings, or you know, when I feel like writing or doing the paperwork. Over here we’ll have the bookshelves, lined up just like so,” She gestured widely and Steve became enamoured by her enthusiasm all over again.

“I’m even going to have a section for horror, science fiction and fantasy, because who doesn’t love those? I’m going to have a mindfulness section too, focused on mental health and wellness, food conscious books, but not so much _diet_ books. I don’t believe in diets, I believe in a healthier lifestyle,” She explained.

“I’ll also have a section for fiction and non-fiction of course, then some poetry, true-crime, drama and-“ She cast a look to him and waggled her dark brows teasingly. “ _Romance._ ”

Steve barked out with a bout of surprised laughter and grinned, blushing lightly as she pretended to swoon. He shook his head in amusement as she straightened up and carried on with all the other genres she planned to house and if she had a bit of a sparkle in her eyes while she did so that Steve hadn’t seen there before, well, that was between them and only them.

“And over here-“ She went on, coming over to the spot beside the check-out counter where another little alcove sat. “Will be the children’s nook,” She said quietly. “I’m going to have a couple of little wooden chairs, a table, lots of colouring books and crayons available to them and of course, children’s books.”

Steve smiled, coming to stand beside her as they looked at the space. “That sounds lovely.”

She turned then, bright dark eyes surveying him quietly for a beat until Steve was forced to turn to look at her properly. “You think so?” She asked, voice quiet and tone timid.

Steve couldn’t help the softening of his gaze then, nor his warm smile. “I do, I think this is going to be a wonderful safe space for people to explore their love of reading, learning and just…bean inviting, delightful and peaceful space.”

He watched as Bailey’s soft pink lips parted in surprise and really hoped that she hadn’t noticed his gaze slip a little south before settling on her round eyes once more. “You…you looked it up?”

Steve shifted a little, hand instinctively going to the back of his neck to rub at it self consciously. “Well, I was curious and…I really liked the word, the way you said it. I thought its meaning was quite fitting, is all.”

Bailey watched him quietly for a minute, noting the light flush to his cheeks, that soft pink spreading over the bridge of his nose and she tried desperately not to blush herself and knew she must be failing, seeing as the corners of his lips were starting to twitch. She pulled herself together as much as she was able and darted towards the blocky old wooden stairs in the far corner.

“I promised you coffee, I’ll just-you can come up if you want. I’ll put on a pot for us,” She told him, cheeks still lightly flushed as she started up the stairs.

Steve hummed, smiling crookedly as soon as her back was turned. “Sure, that uh, that sounds great,” He agreed, following after her at a much more sedate pace.

He tried not to grin like an idiot when he heard her mutter under her breath a beat later, “Who does he think he is, coming into _my space_ and being all _sweet_ and _kind_ and **_interested_** and I- _Christ,_ but I’m a sucker for those puppy-dog eyes, knew I was always weak, but this gives a new meaning to _weak in the knees_ , Bailey-“

He tried to tune her out, knowing that her little rant was not supposed to be heard by him, but he was still smirking, head ducked and attempting to squash his stupid grin as he followed her up the steps and only after they were seated at her kitchen table sipping at their coffees, did Steve finally manage to come up with a way to catch her off guard again.

“You know, it takes a special kind of person to be able to do this kind of thing. Opening a business is always a risk, but doing it on your own, that takes a certain kind of strength…”

Bailey blinked across the table at him, gaze steady, never wavering. She swallowed thickly and set down her mug with a gentle _thunk_ against the table. “I have Jack,” She said slowly, shrugging lightly as she reached down to her side where Jack had curled up half under the table at her feet.

The backs of her fingers brushed his dappled fur and he huffed lightly, glancing up at her but making no move to sit up for a proper pat. Steve hummed in agreement. “You do, but you’re doing all the work alone, at least…it seems that way and that takes strength. Do you have family at least around to help?”

Bailey tensed minutely, but she still tensed and Steve saw it; the way her posture straightened just that bit more, the way her hands clenched around her mug and her eyes widened that little bit more. He was about to apologize if he’d overstepped, but Bailey shrugged stiltedly and spoke over him. “I don’t have any family left, so no,” She explained and when Steve tried to apologize again, she cleared her throat. “And I never really had a lot of time to make friends in school. Too busy with my studies and working at the Library,” She explained.

Steve blinked, wondering if she was _still_ working at the library, but he hadn’t seen her there and he frequented it quite often since waking up, so perhaps she wasn’t there any longer. “I’m sorry, that’s…you seem so young to be doing all this on your own is all.”

She nodded gently, hands curling and uncurling around her mug. “I guess so, but I had to grow up faster than those around me,” She sighed. “Though, I’m not exactly upset by that. I’ve always been told that I’m quite responsible, _mature_ for my age,” She grimaced then and shook her head. “But I think that’s just how I’ve always been.”

Steve nodded slowly, understanding that this was privileged information he was being given. “I get that, certain circumstances make us have to adjust the way we behave, the way we view the world and those around us.”

She hummed in agreement and Steve relaxed slightly, glad he hadn’t gotten it wrong. Hadn’t messed up this conversation in any way, yet. “I may be alone,” She admitted. “But Jack and I do just fine together,” She smiled at that, leaning down a little farther and scratching along Jack’s back. “I don’t work right now, there’s no need, really and anyway-“ She huffed a little. “I spend most of my time with Jack and we vacationed a lot, the last few months and now, well, now we’re ready to open up shop,” She shrugged lightly and smiled across at the blond and Steve had a lot of questions about all that but he didn’t exactly think it was right of him to pry.

“I’m glad you have Jack and honestly-“ Steve chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Sometimes man and woman’s _best friend_ are way better than people.”

Bailey laughed, nodding as she reached up to run a hand through her hair, realizing that she still had it up in that adorable ponytail. She hastily tugged it free and fluffed up her hair in an attempt to look more presentable. Though Steve didn’t think there was any need, but she fussed with her hair for a bit as she acknowledged him. “You’re quite right about that,” She agreed, but her gaze flickered over him a little too intensely and Steve somehow felt stripped down before her. “Though, sometimes…a good person manages to break through our defences; not always a bad thing, either.”

Steve inhaled slowly as he let that sink in. That was a good thing, _right?_ Surely it must be. “We all have guards we put up to protect ourselves, I get it. Sometimes, when you’re least expecting it, someone gets through.”

Steve didn’t know what his face was doing right then, but he was sure he suddenly looked a hell of a lot more vulnerable than he ever let himself be in front of a stranger before. “It’s true,” She admitted, voice quiet.

The tension in the room seemed to ratchet up a little, but Bailey didn’t seem to be bothered by it and Steve wasn’t going to do anything to dispel it. She nodded after a moment, gaze looking down at the table between them, eyes tracing the grains on the dark wood, cataloguing all the little knots and divots. He let his own gaze slip away from her, even if it wasn’t what he wanted to do right then.

It landed on a couple more cans of paint and a stack of tarps in one of the rooms just off the kitchen, door left ajar. “So, you’ve still got a fair bit of painting to do, I take it. Both up here and downstairs…” He trailed off, waiting for her to glance up at him, his tone a little questioning.

When she did, her own gaze was questioning. “Think you might be open to a potentially new friend helping you out with that?” Steve asked.

Bailey blinked, baffled. “You want to help me…paint?”

Steve smiled, ignoring the little ball of warmth in his chest expanding at her every word. “Yeah, truth be told, I used to paint all the time, maybe not rooms much, but I know how to use a brush. Had a friend who insisted I was an artist, actually.”

Bailey just stared at him, gaze steady but searching and Steve felt flayed open by that stare as if she were desperately looking for something in his eyes. He shifted, opening up his posture, but unconsciously doing so. She broke the stare suddenly, her gaze shifting to where the tarps and paint lay in the space she’d labelled an office. She turned back to look at him and whatever she saw there must have been enough.

“Okay,” She said, voice soft but determined. “I would-that would be rather helpful and I can pay you-“

“No payment necessary,” He interrupted, smiling kindly at her when her gaze turned curious. “I’d…like to get to know you better and I think this is a nice way for us to do so, don’t you?”

Bailey stilled, looking at him in obvious surprise. She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “T-that sounds nice,” She admitted, watching as a smile bloomed on Steve’s face.

“Great, uh, want to get started now? I’m free for the next couple of hours,” He told her, gaze flickering down to where Jack had gotten up from his coveted spot at her feet.

“Y-yeah, we can do that, if you want.”

Steve hummed, pushing up from his seat. “Perfect, just tell me where you’d like me to start.”

Bailey watched him for perhaps a moment too long in silence before she managed to pick herself up and smile at him, announcing that they could go back downstairs and finish that first. The upstairs could wait. Besides, the thought of having him in her personal space when they were ultimately still strangers, had not only her guard a little higher up than usual, but had knots of nerves and butterflies in her stomach. _What if he saw a bra lying around, or worse, my underwear?_

So, they’d gone back downstairs and they’d continued on what was the second coat on the walls. They chatted on and off, Bailey had even put on music and Steve had warmed right up to it. Neither shared too much in the way of intimate details about their lives, but they talked about some of the things they liked and disliked. They chatted about the music playing and dogs, books too and the morning passed swiftly by.

By the time Steve actually had to go, they were both feeling like they’d accomplished something other than painting a space together. They exchanged numbers, rather tentatively. Steve showed her his phone and she put in her number for him when he said he hadn’t quite figured out how the thing worked just yet. She’d been kind enough not to tease him about it let alone comment on it, even if that was a curious thing to her. Everyone these days loved their technology, but she didn’t say a word and instead offered to help him.

They’d parted after that, with plans to meet again tomorrow morning, bright and early and Steve would be a lying liar to say he wasn’t excited about the prospect of seeing her again so soon. He hoped she felt the same and there was something about the way she smiled at him and looked at him as if she couldn’t quite believe that he was for real, that had Steve smiling softly to himself while thinking the very same thing.

Steve headed off to SHIELD after that for his check-in, having missed his therapist appointment that morning, _again,_ entirely on purpose, _again._ He’d go when he was good and ready and today was not that day. But it didn’t matter, because he felt lighter and maybe not exactly entirely himself again, he wasn’t sure that was ever going to be possible, but for that little while, he’d felt normal and just… _happy._

He paused in his steps through SHIELD. Was that right? Was that feeling building in his chest, the warmth, the acceptance, the desire to see her again and see where it might take him…was that happiness? He couldn’t dwell on it right then, not when he was being bombarded by Miss Hill and Director Fury about him missing his therapy appointment, _again._

He’d think about it later, in the somewhat private apartment they’d given him. Probably in the middle of the night, no doubt when he couldn’t sleep because all he could picture were his friends faces. It’d get better, he knew it would. But better wouldn’t be tonight and maybe not tomorrow or the day after that. But it had to get better, surely it must. He blinked himself back into awareness and easily picked up the thread of conversation before they ushered him along to complete his check-in.

When they asked him if he’d done anything new today-that was a thing they constantly insisted upon; _try something new each and every day, Cap. It’ll be good for you-_ he told the agent that he’d taken up painting again and even if it wasn’t exactly a _new_ activity for him, it was new in the sense that he hadn’t done it in _this_ century. So surely that counted, right?

It totally counted.

.

He returned to Bailey’s shop the next day and the day after that. They chatted idly about all kinds of things, but neither of them breached the topic of what the other did for a living and Steve couldn’t help but notice how she seemed to avoid it. Not that he didn’t wholeheartedly try and avoid it too. How would he even begin to tell her what he did for…well, not for a living. It was complicated. What’s worse was, he knew he was going to have to come clean to her at some point and explain how he was actually here, like, _physically_ here when he really shouldn’t be. At least at first, he believed he shouldn’t be.

He wasn’t so sure anymore.

Nearly a week passed with Steve coming by to help paint and organize the space. The bookshelves were to be delivered and setup tomorrow and so they’d gone ahead and set up a few other things instead, like the chairs by the newly installed fireplace, even if it was just so they could take a quick break and enjoy the quiet in front of the fire together.

After the first couple of days, Bailey had opened up a little bit more to him. He was still wondering how she could afford to live on her own and so well at that, without working. She was opening a business and he knew that took a significant amount of funds. At first, he thought that perhaps her parents had left her money, maybe in their passing. But, she hadn’t said as much yet. He did learn that she went to University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts, specializing in English Literature and also received a Library Operations Certificate a little over a year and a half ago.

He also learned that she was an only child and she’d lost both of her parents. How, she didn’t explain, but Steve didn’t really feel like it was any of his business anyway. He’d empathized with her about it, briefly, not wanting to bring his own past to light, not entirely anyway, but he’d admitted he’d lost both of his parents too. They’d moved on after that and then she surprised him later that afternoon by broaching the subject of work.

“You’re a soldier, aren’t you? _Were_ , a soldier, maybe,” She’d murmured, catching Steve entirely off guard.

He’d been standing in front of the children’s nook with a thoughtful expression on his face, arms crossed over his chest and thinking that it looked a little plain, even with the cute little chairs and table Bailey had shown him on the computer. They’d arrive in the next few days and somehow, he didn’t think that the plain cream coloured wall backing the nook was going to cut it.

He blinked at the sudden question, surprised. His face paled a little, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn to look at her properly. She’d said it thoughtfully, as if maybe she hadn’t meant for him to hear her or she hadn’t really thought out a way to ask him and had just said it instead.

“I-“

“ _Sorry-_ “ She apologized, noting the sudden stiffness in his posture. “I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s alright,” Steve assured her, turning to look at her properly. “You’re uh-you’re not wrong.”

She blinked and then relaxed, her own posture loosening. “You don’t have to tell me, lord knows I haven’t-“

“It’s complicated, is all,” Steve admitted, voice quiet. “I uh, well, I was a soldier, _am_ , still I guess. I don’t think it’ll ever leave me.”

Bailey nodded, shifting from one foot to the other as she tugged at the hem of her oversized sweater, this one grey and free of paint stains today. “I just, well I noticed the way you stand sometimes. The way you plant your feet, hands at your sides in parade rest or just-“ She swallowed hard. “The way you carry yourself when you think no one’s watching.”

Steve blew out a slow breath. He hadn’t realized he’d let himself get so comfortable in someone else’s presence to allow such a thing. It was natural behaviour for him now, when he was comfortable at least, to slip into what he knew best, what his body knew best. When he was in front of his commanders, his posture was rigid, rehearsed and he knew it bled into his casual stances sometimes, but he couldn’t help it. But when he was around strangers? He had a tendency to try and make himself appear smaller, he _felt_ smaller when faced with strangers.

Regardless, the fact that she’d managed to pick up on his military background because of the way he _stood_ -pretty well with an almost stranger, hopefully soon to be friend-surprised him. “Oh, _that-_ “ He cleared his throat slightly, dropping his arms from in front of his chest. “I didn’t, well I guess it just-“

Bailey smiled at him then and it was soft and sweet, reassuring in a way that had Steve want to just tell her everything. Instead, he blew out a slow breath and shook his head at himself. “It’s complicated, but yes, I am a soldier. I don’t think that sort of thing can ever really leave a person,” He admitted, watching as Bailey leaned back against the checkout counter, focus entirely on him.

She nodded slowly, intently. “I don’t think it ever leaves a person either,” She admitted, voice soft. “My Dad…” She sighed, grasping her opposite elbow and breathing out slowly. “He was a soldier too, a good man.”

Steve’s entire posture shifted then, his shoulders sagging, his eyes softening as he looked to her. He breathed out steadily. “I have no doubt that he was.”

Bailey nodded, glancing away and he noted the slight sheen to her dark eyes. “ _Anyway-_ “ She mumbled, swiping at her eyes and turning to give him a slightly watery smile. “What were you staring so intently at the wall for?”

Steve smiled gently and let his attention switch back to the children’s nook. “Well, I was thinking that the nook looks a little plain and I thought maybe I could paint something here, make it a little livelier.”

Bailey smiled at him, tilting her head slightly in thought as she observed him, attention shifting from the wall to him. “Yeah? What are you thinking?”

Steve shrugged a little. “Maybe a landscape, bright colours, maybe mountains and trees, couple’a animals or something?”

Bailey’s eyes rounded and Steve tried not to look too adoringly at her in response. She was beautiful, he’d thought so from the moment he’d met her. And now, even covered in dust, wearing ratty sweatpants and an old grey sweatshirt that looked as if it had seen better days, she was beautiful. Gorgeous in a way he’d never seen before.

“That sounds…that sounds really nice, Steve. You could-you would do that, for me?” She asked him timidly.

“Yeah, I mean, I might be a little rusty, but maybe tonight I can practice, draw up a few sketches to show you tomorrow and you can tell me what you think?” He offered, smiling decisively as her eyes only grew rounder and more doe-eyed by the second.

“That-“ She cleared her throat when it came out a little breathless. “That sounds wonderful, Steve. _Really_.”

He nodded, watching as she seemed to look at him a little closer and then she was nodding too. “That’s great, I’ll do up a couple sketches tonight and show them to you tomorrow. You said the movers will be bringing by the bookcases in the morning and they’ll be setting up most of the day, right?”

“Yeah, but I have an appointment in the afternoon at the bank and it’s going to be a bit crazy here during the day. I’ve already gone over everything with the workers for tomorrow so I’m just going to let them in and then run some errands before I pop over to the bank. Why don’t I give you a key and you can come in while I’m out. I-I trust your judgement, Steve. You say you’re rusty, but that friend of yours did say you were an artist,” She told him, wagging a finger in thought as she strode off towards where she’d draped her jacket over the back of one of the chairs by the fireplace.

Steve blinked as he watched her rifle through her pockets, pulling out a ring of keys. She fiddled with it for a moment before unlatching a key and offering it to him in her outstretched palm. Steve stared at it. “You’re trusting me to paint a mural for you without seeing any of my work _and_ you’re trusting me with a key to your business,” He said, tone not flat exactly, but questioning.

She raised a carefully manicured brow at him. “Should I _not_ trust you to do either of those things?”

Steve hummed softly under his breath. “Bu- _James_ , my friend,” He explained. “He was many things, but he was never a liar.”

Bailey looked at him closely then, noting the way he’d said _was,_ not _is._ “And I would imagine that this James was a good judge of character.”

Steve nodded slowly. “I think so.”

This was the most he’d spoken about Bucky in…in much longer than he cared to think about. “Then it’s settled,” She said, gesturing with the key again and Steve took it automatically, holding it gently between his thumb and forefinger. “You’ll come by whenever you like, start the mural while the workers are setting up the bookcases and I’ll be by in the late afternoon. Is that alright? I can go out now and pick up the paints for you-“

“I can get them. I uh, I actually have a lot of my own supplies at home that I don’t mind using at all,” He interrupted, carefully pocketing the key and somehow the weight of it in his pocket, so minuscule and yet its importance, its _significance_ enough to have him breathing out heavily.

He barely knew this woman and yet something in her was telling her to trust him and he wasn’t about to risk that for anything. “Are you sure, Steve? I can-“

“ _Honest,_ Bailey, I’m sure. You mind if I keep it a surprise then? I’ll cover it with a sheet, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t go peeking,” His voice was only slightly teasing, a light smile on his face.

Bailey’s smile grew at that and she chuckled softly. “Yeah, I’ll let you keep it a surprise then. Now I’m really excited.”

She laughed then, real, bright laughter and Steve’s insides warmed so much so that he thought he must be radiating more heat than usual. He smiled at her earnestly. _Besotted_ , more like. “That’s great, I uh, I should get going now though.”

Bailey nodded, glancing down at her watch; a sleek thing with no numbers, just a simple dark face with white hands and a silver circle at the 12 Hour mark. “I guess it is about that time, yeah. Think I’ll go get showered and changed and take Jack for a long walk. Poor pup’s been cooped up inside the last while with me getting things ready,” She sighed.

Steve nodded, glancing over to where she had brought down a doggie bed for Jack to lay on by the fire still flickering away and warming the space. “I’m sure he’d appreciate a good run,” He agreed, listening as Bailey hummed beside him.

“Right, well, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, Steve and…thank you… _again_ , for all your help. You don’t-you don’t know how much your help means to me,” She admitted, voice quiet but sure, _sincere_.

Steve paused in his steps towards the door, coat already in hand. He turned to look at her, just shy of the doorway. “It’s no trouble, Bailey, really _._ I’m-“ He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. “I’m happy to help and…I may have an ulterior motive for helping, if you haven’t noticed.”  
There was a tentative smile stretching his lips, worried he’d maybe put that a little too plainly but when she smiled and blushed the sweetest pink, Steve knew he’d made the right move. “ _Well-_ “ She paused, fiddling with the hem of her baggy sweater. “I maybe sort of noticed,” She told him, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. “And I don’t exactly mind.”

Steve blew out a slow breath and relaxed a fraction. That was good. It was. Wasn’t it? When she smiled a little brighter and glanced to Jack, perhaps attempting to will that pretty blush from her cheeks, Steve ducked his head a little bashfully and took to the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Bailey. Enjoy your night,” He murmured, slipping out the door, Bailey’s soft, “You too, Steve,” Reaching his ears before he slipped out the door, closing it behind him.

He left the shop with a lighter step and warmth in his chest that only seemed to grow with each new day he spent with her. He had a check-in to get to and he thought a stop at _Starbucks_ might be in order to help get him through it.

It was a strange feeling he thought, an hour later and seated in front of one of the three people he’d been meeting with for his regularly scheduled check-ins, to suddenly wish that he could talk to someone about the feelings he was currently having. It was a little startling, actually and in the middle of something or other that Michael was saying, he blurted out, “That therapist, you think I could make an appointment?”

Michael blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah-I-whenever you want to, Cap.”

Steve nodded, humming under his breath. “Is the person Hill wanted me to meet still available?”

Michael blinked again and nodded, turning to his computer and typing something. “Yeah, I-I think so. Just a sec-“

“You know what, I think I remember the room number, I’ll head over there now and see if they’re in,” He announced, getting up from his seat and giving the young man a salute.

Michael was staring after him in awe. Steve had found early on that if he saluted anyone who knew who he was, well…they turned a little starry eyed and times like now, he used it to his advantage. “G-great, that’s uh, that’s great, Captain, I’ll-“

But Steve was already out the door and it didn’t take him long to find his way to room 102 and a doctor Matthews. When she answered the door, he hesitated a moment and then smiled, thrusting out his hand to her. “I’m Steve Rogers, uh…sorry for all the appointments I’ve missed.”

Miss Matthews merely surveyed him from the safety of her office before she took his preferred hand and shook it. “Felicity Matthews,” She introduced and stepped aside, motioning him in. “And I accept your apology.”

Steve smiled nervously and took a deep breath. This was important and, and maybe if he was talking about this, maybe it would help. Like people kept telling him it would. _Read_ : Hill and Fury. It would be fine, it had to be. This was doctor patient confidentiality, they couldn’t-

That was the first thing they discussed, Miss Matthews covering all of the appropriate bases and explaining the ins and outs of their meetings. First and foremost, everything was private. Secondly, he only need talk about what he wanted to talk about. She was here to listen, to guide and to help him find his place in this new century. But, he had to be open to it. He had to want that, he had to want to help himself as well. It was simple, in that it wasn’t that simple.

When it came down to it, he knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But, the first meeting, though relatively quiet, at least let him talk to someone who wasn’t a superior, a fan or…potentially, a love interest. If he was ever going to have a serious relationship, he figured he was going to need to talk to someone about what he’d been through. He came with a lot of baggage, he was well aware. Still, unpacking said baggage was going to be a handful and a half and though he was starting to think he’d be willing to do so, he also knew that it was going to be a lot and a slow going process.

Regardless, once he’d left her office, he felt better and more assured of himself. This was the right move, even if it hadn’t been his idea to begin with. He’d take the help he was being offered and work through his issues in hopes that it would eventually benefit him. He knew he would always have something to deal with, but surely there were people who struggled with things all the time and still carried on. Even if his circumstances were far from the usual run of the mill problems people faced nowadays.

This would be helpful. It… _would_ be helpful. He just had to keep telling himself that. Maybe he’d even believe it, eventually.

.

The next morning, Steve made his way to the bookshop. It was a busy morning on the street and Steve carefully let himself in when he heard the workers making noise inside. He’d received a text a little over an hour ago from Bailey letting him know to _go ahead and let yourself in._ So, he’d done just that.

There were four men working on assembling the bookcases and they waved to him and murmured greetings as he headed over to the little nook. He’d brought along his paints, some brushes and things and unrolled one of the sheets they’d put away in the break room the day before. It didn’t take long to set up shop and he pulled open his sketchbook to look at the few drawings he’d done the night before.

He’d already picked one but knew he’d probably change his mind about the details as he went. It was fine though. He thought it would turn out alright. He liked the landscape he’d drawn. Lots of trees on a mountainside, the grey and white peaks peeking through the greenery. In the foreground was a lake, which he pictured to be still and serene, the prettiest of blues too. He had plans to paint a deer, maybe a couple of rabbits and squirrels, birds too. He didn’t want it to be cartoon-ish or anything, brighter colours, sure, but he also wanted it to be _real_.

So, once he got settled, he got down to work. He took the time to sketch it out first and only moved on to actual _painting_ , when he was confident he’d blocked it all out properly first. He lost himself in the careful strokes of his brush soon thereafter and he didn’t know how much time had passed, only that when he next looked up, he realized he was alone in the shop and the noise of the other workers had stopped. He pulled out his phone and glanced at the time, 1:11PM.

He wiped at his brow and hummed softly, pocketing his phone a beat later. He glanced behind him and stilled, surprised by what he saw. The workers had done an amazing job. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all the way up to the ceiling, actually. They weren’t white like he had envisioned, they were a rich mahogany, similar to the wood flooring throughout. There were several others that filled the space, not quite so high, but he’d be hard pressed to look over them. There was a lot of shelf space, that was for sure.

He glanced towards the papered up windows, the chairs by the fireplace, currently turned off. That was a marvel; an electric fireplace. He shook his head, glancing towards the front door and then up to the top of the stairs where the door to Bailey’s apartment remained closed.

He was pretty sure she hadn’t returned yet, but he knew she planned to be back by 1:30 so he still had a little time. He glanced towards the mural and stood, carefully unfolding the sheet and pinning it up with some painters tape to keep it hidden without ruining his work.

He tidied up his workspace and just as he was washing up in the break room’s sink, he heard the front door open, the little bell he’d installed above it yesterday _tinkling_ and filling the space with its inviting sound. He couldn’t help but smile as he scrubbed the paint from his nails.

“ _Steve?_ ” Bailey called, her voice soft and questioning and his smile only grew when he heard Jack barking upstairs. “I’m coming, Jack,” She laughed and Steve listened to her coming in and taking off her coat, setting down her purse.

“I’m just washing up!” Steve called back, listening as Bailey hummed and said something about getting Jack and she’d be right back.

By the time he came back out, Jack was downstairs and wagging his tail excitedly as Bailey clipped a lead on him. She smiled over her shoulder at Steve and he tried not to melt at the sight. “Want to go for a cup of coffee? I have to walk Jack for a little.”

“Sure, that sounds good. I actually ah, haven’t had lunch yet,” He admitted.

Bailey smiled sweetly at him. “ _Perfect_ , we’re going for lunch then.”

And that was how Steve found himself in a small bakery a couple of blocks away eating gourmet sandwiches, sipping specialty coffees and enjoying the sound of Bailey’s light laughter. She’d been trying to get Steve to talk about the kinds of books he liked, if he’d ever read a _romance novel before, Steve? Come now, I won’t poke fun if you have_ , and Steve had laughed and smiled and shaken his head. They’d carried on like that in a fashion and finished their lunch and it wasn’t until they were on their way back that Steve realized he hadn’t paid for lunch.

“Hang on a minute-“ He blurted. “I didn’t pay for my lunch, did-“

She laughed lightly, patting him on the arm as she walked past him to unlock the door to the shop. “I paid for your lunch, Steve. Don’t worry, I settled the bill while you were in the washroom.”

Steve blinked in surprise. “You bought me lunch? Was-was this a _date?_ ”

In hindsight, he probably should have thought that through instead of blurting it out quite like that. Bailey smiled over her shoulder at him as she unhooked Jack’s lead. “What if it was?”

Steve floundered. He knew things were different nowadays, had been told as much, _hell_ , he’d been given _pamphlets_ to read on very important events and movements he’d missed out on to go over before he’d even been let _out_ of SHIELD custody. But he was quite shocked still, to find that she’d paid for his lunch.

“I-“ He faltered, swallowing thickly. “I would have at least split the cheque.”

“ _Steve-_ “ Bailey laughed, turning around to face him properly once he’d come inside. “I _wanted_ to buy you lunch, _alright?_ Let me spoil you, I only ever get to spoil Jack and he’s not as fun to spoil, he doesn’t get nearly as flustered and adorable as you do.”

Steve flushed, looking down at his feet in embarrassment…but also…no one spoiled him, not like this. Not since-

“Is that not alright?” She asked and Steve looked up to find her looking at him in concern.

“No, it’s-it’s okay. I just…I’m not used to-I haven’t-“ He stumbled over his words in his haste to explain and then found that he wasn’t sure how to do so exactly.

Bailey’s gaze softened then and she took a step closer to him, a gentle hand coming up to rest against his bicep. “Hey, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Steve blew out a slow breath and forced himself to get the words out. “You didn’t, make me feel uncomfortable, that is. I’m just…not used to having someone want to spoil me, not since-“

He cut himself off then and Bailey’s hand, curled tentatively over his bicep, squeezed him in reassurance. “I think we all deserve to be spoiled sometimes, Steve and I promise next time…to ask you if I can get the cheque,” She tried to make light of it, a gentler tone, a slight quirk of her lips, but she’d seen something in his eyes then, a slight quiver to his bottom lip and she knew that whatever he’d been trying to get out, wasn’t something that came easy to him.

He nodded, short and sharp as she looked up at him, he clearly still unable to say what he had wanted to. She wouldn’t push him, but she would let him know that she was there for him if he ever wanted to talk. “I’m here, if you ever want to talk, you know and I don’t want you to be afraid to voice yourself. I know what it’s like, to have your voice smothered, so…next time.”

Steve nodded, blowing out a slow breath as he looked away from her, unable to hold her gaze. She squeezed his arm once more before she attempted to draw away, but the warmth of Steve’s palm settled atop hers and she stilled. He still wasn’t looking at her, but he squeezed her hand gently and she couldn’t help but smile. It was an acknowledgement at least.

“So uh-“ He cleared his throat slightly. “There will be a next time?”

Bailey smiled cheekily at him and nodded, withdrawing her hand once Steve had let go. “Course there will be, if you want.”

Steve glanced back at her, a slight flush creeping over his cheeks. It was clear that she wanted a _next time_ , so he knew not to bother asking her if _she_ wanted it when she so clearly did. “I want there to be a next time too,” He murmured, voice soft, cautious but sure.

Bailey smiled up at him sweetly, a softness in her eyes as she nodded. “Alright then, _so,_ want to show me what you’ve painted so far?”

Steve grinned dopily at her. “Ah, _ah_. It’s going to be a surprise, remember?”

Bailey rolled her eyes playfully and nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Was just trying to see if I could get you to break,” She admitted, heading over to where Steve had been busy most of the morning.

She clearly still wanted to look, but she restrained herself. He wondered if she wouldn’t look when he headed home shortly. “I’m not so easy to break,” He teased and she laughed, glancing over her shoulder at him from where she’d stopped to look over the sheet he’d set up.

“I don’t doubt it,” She agreed, turning back around to face him.

Steve was at a loss just then, he knew he should probably head home. Why, he wasn’t exactly sure, he just figured he should give her some space. He would call in for his check-in, seeing as it was the weekend, but he really didn’t have all that much to do tonight.

“Are you in a hurry to go?” She asked, her soft voice making him pause.

She sounded like she didn’t _want_ him to be, but that could just be his brain latching on for any possibility for more time with her. “I don’t have much in the way of plans, so, not really.”

She hummed thoughtfully, crossing her arms in front of her chest and bunching up her oversized sweater in the process; this one a bright pink today. “It’s Friday, Steve,” She stated flatly. “Are you telling me a young, smart, _attractive_ man like yourself, doesn’t have a hot date tonight you’re just itching to get home to get ready for?”

Steve gave her a wry smile, hand instinctively jumping to rub at the back of his neck, fingers stroking through the short blond hairs there. “Hot date with my television, _maybe_. Or just a good book and some soft jazz.”

Bailey’s gaze softened as she observed him. “You’re too young to be cooped up all alone on a Friday night, Steven,” She tried to tease, but Steve shook his head lightly, giving her a wry sort of smile.

“And what about you, _Miss Varvaro?_ Do _you_ have a hot date tonight?” He went for teasing, but it came out a little more curious than he intended; probably because he _was_ curious.

She blinked and seemed to shy away from him a little at the question. “Actually, I do-“ She told him, voice quiet and it caught Steve a little off guard; _she had a date?_ “With this really good boy, we’re going to curl up by the fire and I’ll drink some hot cocoa and he’ll fall asleep within five-minutes of me getting my hands on him, probably snore right through the night too-“ She sighed in weary exasperation. “Jack makes a right racket when he’s comfortable, let me tell you-“ She stopped then and gave Steve a wink, the blond instantly bursting into laughter.

Bailey snickered, glancing to where Jack had lifted his head to survey them both with an unimpressed stare. “Yeah, _so-_ “ She managed through her light laughter. “Those are my plans for tonight, _Steven_.”

Steve chuckled softly, shaking his head. “See, it’s not nice to tease someone about their _Friday night plans_ and besides-“ He went on. “You’re young, smart and attractive too, Bailey. So shouldn’t _you_ be out having a night on the town?”

She shook her head at the phrasing, looking away for a beat before turning back to survey him; completely ignoring the compliment simply because no one called her attractive, at least, not so blatantly. Though, she _had_ done so to him, so maybe he was just being kind.

“No night on the town for me,” She chuckled, sighing softly.

Steve hummed. “Now that’s a cryin’ shame, that. Back in the day I knew a fella’ who would have shown you a good time, even if I wasn’t exactly in a position to.”

Bailey arched a delicate brow at him. “And why, pray tell, would you not be in a position to _show me a good time?_ ”

Steve rolled his eyes and shifted where he stood. “Well, for one thing, I was a _terrible_ dancer. B- _James_ would set us up on these awful double dates where he’d spend the entirety of the evening dancing with the girl he brought along and the girl that got saddled with me would huff and puff and get her knickers in a knot when I told her I couldn’t dance on account of my asthma. She’d go off to find another partner…usually James and he’d start dancing with _both_ girls if he had enough liquor in’im and I’d be left to sit and watch, couldn’t even drink thanks to the ulcers, either.”

Bailey had grown quiet, but she was still smiling, only now watching him carefully. “What?” He blurted, suddenly unsure.

“You’re from Brooklyn, aren’t you?”

Steve faltered and he nodded slowly after a beat. “Guess the accent comes through when I’m comfortable,” He admitted, watching as Bailey’s smile only grew.

“Thought so, and this _James_ of yours, he have a habit of settin’ you up on double dates with those ungrateful girls?” She queried, definitely more curious now.

“Maybe,” Steve admitted, swallowing thickly.

He knew that homosexuality wasn’t, well it wasn’t a _crime_ anymore. He wasn’t _gay_ as they called it now, but he definitely wasn’t straight either. He’d done a fair bit of research on the subject once he’d learned about it, but he hadn’t exactly slapped a label on himself either. He loved who he loved, that was it. If he was attracted to a man or women, what did it matter what he called himself?

Didn’t mean he wasn’t still nervous about admitting his true feelings for Bucky, for a _man._ People were still not as open to things like that nowadays, though it wasn’t even remotely as bad as it had once been upon a time and for that he was grateful. Even so, he wasn’t sure he could voice it right then.

Bailey seemed to sense this, however, and she smiled at him a little easier after that. He had mentioned James in passing a few times, little remarks and she wasn’t stupid. She’d figured it out pretty quickly and she understood Steve’s hesitancy to talk about it, but she hoped he’d come round soon enough.

“Sounds like a right jerk making you come along just so he could run around with _two_ girls,” She said teasingly and Steve barked out a laugh, smothering his smile with the palm of his hand.

“ _Oh_ , he was a right jerk, alright,” His laughter and fondness bled into his tone and Bailey smiled at him kindly.

He breathed out shakily when he managed to settle himself enough. “Even so, I-I should get going, let you have your quiet night in with _Jack_.”

The pup’s ears perked up and Bailey smiled fondly over at the dog. “You know,” She sighed, drawing Steve’s gaze as he too looked to the pup. “You could stay, I could make dinner, maybe put on a movie or we could just chat, have some hot cocoa and listen to music,” She suggested, voice timid, questioning.

Steve swallowed hard. That sounded like a rather intimate date. Alone together in her apartment while she made dinner for him, maybe some music playing with Jack sleeping by the fire while they sipped their hot cocoa? Definitely sounded like an intimate date. He breathed in roughly through his nose. It sounded so _domestic_ and what’s worse was that he _wanted it_. Wanted it so goddamn much his teeth _ached_ with it.

He must have taken too long to decide, however, because Bailey shifted lightly on her feet. “It’s okay if you don’t want to, Steve,” She consoled. “Another time maybe or-“

“I do, want to,” He breathed, gaze shifting back to hers. “I just-I’m nervous.”

Bailey’s gaze softened as she nodded. “Me too…I haven’t had a lot of time to uh, _date._ But, it’s just dinner. I’m kicking you out by 9,” She threatened, still smiling at him. “And, we’ll even have a chaperone.”

Both of their gazes flickered towards Jack then, the pup still watching them avidly. Steve huffed a soft laugh and Bailey gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah, that-that sounds really nice, Bailey. I’d love to stay for dinner.”

“ _Perfect_ , come on up and get settled then. I’m sure Jack would love the extra company, think he’s a bit tired of me.”

Steve chuckled softly, shaking his head. “That dog loves you,” He sighed, following Bailey and the pup towards the back staircase, flicking off the lights as they went.

“Sure he does, I give him all the _head-scritches_ and treats, but I’m sure he’d like that kind of attention from anyone,” She teased, already climbing up the stairs.

“True, but I’m sure he would always come back to you and only you. He feels safe with you because you’re his home.”

Bailey stopped at the top of the steps, keys outstretched towards the lock. “I suppose so,” She murmured, wondering about that and smiling at the thought of being someone’s _home_ in more than just a physical sense.

They made their way into her apartment and got settled in. She still had yet to unpack a lot of her belongings it looked like, at least four or five boxes that he could see still remained, but she had made progress since the last time he’d been upstairs. She’d finished painting the kitchen too, a light cornflower blue that caught the natural light coming in from the front window and the one above the sink.

It was all open concept and with a space that wasn’t overly large, Steve found that he liked it quite a lot. It reminded him of his and Bucky’s place back before the war. Though, to be fair, theirs was a hell of a lot smaller, drafter too and not nearly as well lit. Well, it had a lot of things that were shit about it but it was _theirs_ and really, that had been all that mattered to them.

Steve settled himself at the kitchen island, Bailey having poured him a glass of water while she started looking through the fridge and cupboards to take stock. She’d flicked on a little radio that was tucked up under one of the counters, also a new addition that hadn’t been there a few days prior and now the comforting notes of a woman singing were filtering through the space. He’d heard all kinds of music since waking up and this was certainly on the tame side of some of the things he’d heard recently and for that he was at least grateful.

He’d let himself look around the place as she busied herself with pulling vegetables from the crisper. There weren’t any paintings on the walls, no decorations really either, that Steve noticed. There was a large television resting on a side table that was off but plugged in, but aside from that, the only other furniture in the room was a sofa, a coffee table and an end table with a little lamp.

He let his gaze wander towards the bay window and was pleased to see a window seat there, three smaller cushions lain across it with a book lying atop them. He smiled when he saw a blanket lying haphazardly on the floor, one of the moving boxes open beside it.

“You know,” He started. “I’m surprised you don’t have more books,” He admitted, turning his attention back to her.

Bailey glanced over her shoulder at him. “You haven’t seen my bedroom,” She teased, winking at him.

Steve spluttered a laugh. “No ma’am, I haven’t.”

She blinked at him in surprise. “Ma’am, _ma’am?_ ” She asked incredulously. “How old do you think I am, _Steven?_ ”

Steve spluttered, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I was only being polite!” He defended, caught off guard, no one had much minded when he used to address them that way; was that wrong now? “I’m sorry, would you prefer _miss?_ ”

Bailey shook her head, still look wide-eyed and rather flustered. “I would, yes. _Ma’am_ is so…well it makes me sound so-“ She scrunched up her nose. “ _Old,_ ” She admitted, sounding rather defeated.

Steve shook his head quickly. “I didn’t mean that at all, _honest._ I was only being polite, I’ll stick to Bailey or miss from now on, _promise_.”

She side eyed him and grimaced. “I noticed you avoided the question, Steven.”

“What question?” He asked, still feeling off balance.

“How… _old_ do you think I am?” Her eyes were narrowed even if she wasn’t looking at him head-on right then.

Steve floundered and he wasn’t stupid enough to let his gaze wander over anything other than her face, but he was stupid enough to sputter at the question. She laughed a little at him then and reached out to push his shoulder. At the last second he managed to let himself be pushed instead of instinctively bracing for the light hit and it was light, the pressure barely registering. But the warmth of her did.

“I’m only teasing you, Steve. I’m 25,” She rolled her eyes at him as he relaxed and smiled lightly.

“I thought you were younger,” He admitted. “Maybe 21 or 22.”

Bailey rolled her eyes as she dragged over a cutting board to the kitchen island, having brought up a couple of bell peppers, some broccoli and carrots. “Now you’re just flattering me.”

Steve huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Honest, when we first met I actually thought you were much younger than that, even. But then we started talking and I knew you couldn’t be quite that young. And _hey,_ if you’re going to tease me by asking me to answer a question I _know_ I’m not supposed to, maybe I should be asking you the same thing. How old do you think _I am_ , Bailey?”

Bailey smirked lightly, rolling her eyes before she a made a show of looking him up and down, something he had wholeheartedly tried not to do to her. He flushed with the sudden attention and even if with the way half his body was being blocked by the island between them, he still felt like she was seeing _all_ of him. It was unnerving and exhilarating all at once.

“Well, if I’d had to venture a guess…” She hummed softly. “I’d say you were in your twenties, maybe 25, 26 at most.”

Steve smiled, more to himself than anything as he looked down at the countertop between them. Even if you didn’t take into account the 70 years he’d spent in the ice, he was still older than that. He was flattered, really, but knew he had the serum to thank for that. “I’m 29, actually, but thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Bailey blinked, halfway through cutting through a carrot. “No, you’re not, there’s-are you really 29?”

Steve nodded. “I am.”

Bailey shook her head slowly. “Huh, wouldn’t have pegged you even close, honest.”

Steve shrugged a bit, a bashful smile on his face. “Guess that’s my good looks for you,” He teased, winking at her as he smoothed his hands down the front of his navy blue sweater.

Bailey spluttered a laugh of her own and shook her head, going back to chopping vegetables. They fell into companionable quiet after that, Bailey humming along to the music on the radio while Steve watched her work. Eventually he helped her with dinner, only after he’d insisted for more than ten-minutes and she’d had no choice but to give in. They cooked a nice meal together, ham, baked potatoes, sautéed vegetables with lots of spice and fresh herbs.

After a little while she cleared her throat, however, drawing his attention. “I’m…well, I wanted to apologize for earlier.”

“Apologize? For what?”

Bailey shrugged a little as she plated the food, Steve standing beside her and helping her do so. “I overstepped, when I bought you lunch without talking to you about it…I did it the first time we met too, when I bought you that coffee.”

Steve blinked, unsure. “I-it’s okay. I thought we already settled that next time, you’d ask. It’s not a big deal.”

Bailey turned to him, chewing nervously on her lower lip as she avoided his gaze. “I’m still sorry for doing it, I just…ever since-“ She huffed, unable to phrase whatever it was that she wanted to say to him properly.

Steve shook his head, gently taking the plates from her to set them at the table. She let him and only when he urged her to come and sit down with him, did she finally do so. “A little over a year ago…I came into some money,” She told him, voice a little wary.

Steve blinked. Okay, so that was something. That might actually explain a few things for him. “Alright, would you like to tell me about it?”

She nodded and Steve watched as she picked at the food on her plate for a moment before blowing out a breath, her dark eyes fixing on him from across the small table. “I lost my Dad…three days before my 24th birthday.”

Steve’s lips parted. He had…not expected that but before he could voice his sympathies, she went on. “My mother…she died giving birth to me. She haemorrhaged in the birthing room and my Dad and I…we were on our own. His parents weren’t…they weren’t good people and my mum’s parents didn’t want to be near me after her death…so Dad cut them out of our lives pretty quickly after that. He raised me and he-he tried so hard to be a good father, he _was_ a good father.”

Steve nodded, brows pinched as he listened. “We were doing alright for ourselves, I think. I got to go to the university I wanted thanks to a couple of scholarships I worked hard for and he did what he could to help me. I got a job at the Library and we did okay for ourselves. He drank, sometimes…not um, not a lot and not often, but sometimes and he’d come home and he’d just… _look_ …at me. I’ve only ever seen pictures of my mother, but I know I look just like her. It must have eaten him up inside, to look at me and see her, each and every day. But he never talked about it, never said a word. It’s not that he never talked about her either, he did. Just…I never knew exactly what he was thinking when he looked at me like that. He only ever loved me, but from a safe distance; he kept me at arms length.”

She shook her head then and Steve frowned, trying to understand. “He still loved you, Bailey. Surely he did.”

She nodded, pushing some of her vegetables around on her plate. “He did, I know he did. But when he said it, I-it never felt right. He could never look me in the eyes and say it. It hurt him too much, I think. He got sick, really sick in those last couple of months together. Cancer they said, but it…there wasn’t any time for treatment; we’d caught it too late. It all happened so fast and one night, he was in so much pain, the medications worked, but they-“ She shook her head at the memory. “He turned and just _looked_ at me. It was the same, like when he’d been drinking and I just looked back, held his hand and told him I loved him. I hadn’t expected him to say it back, to look me in the eyes with such clarity and tell me he loved me, _me_ **_Bailey_**.”

“ _Bailey,_ ” Steve murmured.

She didn’t need to tell him this, to share something like this with him. It wasn’t his right, not to-not to hear her tell him such private things. She looked up at him then and smiled at him kindly. She didn’t look upset, she looked sad but thoughtful, like she’d seen something in Steve right then that she hadn’t before. He didn’t know what it was and yet he wasn’t sure he needed to know.

“He wished me a happy birthday the next morning. He was three days early but I didn’t correct him. He told me to go to the little convenience store at the end of our block like we always did on our birthdays and buy a ticket with my birthday money and I promised him I would. He passed before noon that same day and on my birthday, I went to the store, bought the ticket and picked up butter, flour, sugar and some vanilla to make shortbread. We always made shortbread on my birthday. It was mum’s favourite, he’d told me once when I was little.”

“I’d forgotten about the ticket, too busy planning my father’s funeral…meetings with the bank to sort out the estate…” She shook her head, glancing down at the table. “I found the ticket in my coat pocket a week after the draw and remembered a headline I’d seen in the news a few days prior. _8 Million Dollar Ticket Sold in New York; Still Unclaimed_ and I thought, _there is no way_. I’d laughed so hard I cried when I realized I had the winning ticket, that I’d been walking around with it in my coat pocket for a week and had not known.”

Steve shook his head incredulously. That had been a whirlwind of a story and he wholeheartedly believed every word of it. “I’m so-“ He breathed out roughly through his nose and tried again. “Bailey…I’m so sorry that you had to go through that, seeing him like that…it couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t,” She agreed, smiling sadly. “But I’ve made my peace with it. He never raised his voice to me, never raised a hand to me either. Sometimes I wish he had, just shouted at me _once_ just so I could hear him say that he couldn’t bear to look at me, because I reminded him too much of my mother. But that was my problem, not his. I tried to see it differently, but it wasn’t until I was forced to say goodbye that I realized I was losing the only other person in the world that truly, deeply, irrevocably loved me. He loved me, even if he couldn’t say it and mean it until the end, I know he loved me.”

Steve reached out then and laid his hand on the table, palm up to her. She looked at it for a moment before her lips curved in to a delicate smile as she reached out and placed her palm in his. He gave her a gentle squeeze, thumb swiping along the tops of her knuckles. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

Bailey shrugged a little and looked down at her plate, picking up a bit of broccoli on her fork. A moment of silence passed between them and then, “Want to know what I spent all my money on?”

Steve cracked a soft smile. “I’m pretty sure I could venture a guess,” He murmured, gently caressing the back of her hand.

She smiled, glancing over to where Jack was curled up at the edge of the kitchen watching them with tired eyes. The rest of dinner was easy and relatively quiet, though Bailey told him about what she’d done with the money she’d won.

She’d waited nearly another ten days before she had the strength to claim the money. She said she’d needed to work herself up to it and Steve could understand that. When she did claim it, she’d asked to be kept anonymous but to release a statement that she was going to make a few donations, maybe take a vacation and that was that. She’d invested the majority of it, though she had pretty well instantly gone on a vacation to a cabin up north. She’d stopped at an animal shelter on her way to the cabin and found Jack and proceeded to make a few extra stops to buy puppy supplies on the way.

And instead of the two weeks she’d intended to stay at the cabin, she’d asked if she could extend it to a month. She said she’d never wanted to leave there. It’d been peaceful by the lake, given her time to grieve and move forward in the next chapter of her life. She’d spent time with Jack and did some reading and when she finally did go home, she set up another meeting with the bank. This one was to discuss the potential for opening up a shop.

They chatted for a while about the cabin and about her love of reading and how she’d always loved reading with her Dad, how it had been something they’d shared together. The topic shifted after a while and they talked about other things while they ate their dinner. She apologized again for having bought Steve’s lunch without his permission, but Steve waved her concerns away after she explained that she just liked to _make someone’s day a little nicer_ as it were.

Sometimes she bought people behind her in line their morning coffees or sometimes she bought groceries for the person in front of her at the checkout counter. It wasn’t a lot, she’d explained, but it was something she liked to do when she could, hoping to put a smile on someones face, at least for a little while.

They finished eating after that, Steve’s soft words of praise for the meal and Steve thanking her for having him while she insisted she was the one who was thankful for his company. After dinner Steve offered to help clean up and he’d really had to push for him to let him, but eventually she caved…but only after he’d stolen the sponge and dish soap and held them above their heads. She’d given him this exasperatingly fond look and given in, allowing him to help.

They’d washed up and put away the dishes thereafter and Steve asked for a pot and some milk so that they could make hot cocoa. She’d looked at him a little surprised when he’d asked. “You like it when the cocoa is the authentic stuff, don’t you? Rich and creamy?”

Steve nodded, a lopsided smile on his face. “Yeah, it’s how we used to make it. When we could afford it, anyway.”

Bailey smiled gently, watching him quietly and then went to the cupboard, pulled out a pot for him and the milk from the fridge. While Steve was busy acquainting himself with the stovetop, Bailey went to her _secret sash_ and pulled down some semi-sweet bakers chocolate. When she opened it up and placed a couple of squares on the counter beside him, Steve blinked in surprise.

“Will this do?” She asked, voice quiet.

“Yeah, I-that’s perfect,” He admitted, smiling himself as he carefully stirred the milk.

She nodded, obviously pleased as she went to bring down a couple of mugs from the cupboard. She dropped a couple of pieces of chocolate in each one and then went to look for the whipped cream while Steve warmed the milk.

It didn’t take long before the milk was steaming and Steve carefully poured it over each piece of chocolate, filling up their mugs. “Leave room for some of this,” She told him, brandishing the can of whipped cream.

Steve blinked, reading the label. He was grinning by the time he finished pouring the milk and then with a flourish, Bailey popped a nice big dollop of whipped cream over the tops of each. “And _voila!_ ” She announced, smiling widely as she scooped up her mug and gestured to the other for Steve to take.

“Wow, this looks amazing. Thank you,” Steve murmured, picking up his mug and following Bailey into the living room to sit on the sofa.

“You’re the one who did all the work,” She laughed, getting cozy on the sofa as she turned more towards him.

Steve shook his head, watching as she cozied up, dragging a blanket off the back of the sofa to drape over her lap. She was always bundling herself up and tonight was no exception. Most days he’d be lucky if he caught her in a long sleeved shirt that wasn’t at least a size too big. She liked to wear layers and oversized sweaters with leggings or tight jeans, but as a result he really hadn’t been able to see much of her. It was a damn shame, truly.

Steve shifted slightly himself after a moment and stretched an arm out across the back of the sofa, not close to her exactly, but not all that far away either. He tried to make himself look casual as he propped an ankle up over his thigh, turning his body towards her a bit more. Even if he felt not exactly uncomfortable, just…a little nervous.

“All I did was warm the milk, you made it pretty,” He laughed, lifting his mug and inhaling the lovely scent of hot cocoa and warm milk.

Bailey hummed, not agreeing or disagreeing as she took a sip of the warm drink. She practically moaned at the taste and Steve’s cheeks positively _flamed._ He averted his gaze and took a sip of his own, lashes fluttering and a happy sigh escaping him as he tasted the hot cocoa. It was absolutely _delicious._ He groaned softly and when he finally opened his eyes, still savouring the taste, he found Bailey looking at him over the rim of her own mug, cheeks bright pink with a healthy flush.

They sat in comfortable quiet together after that, both just enjoying their cocoa, bellies full from dinner. Jack had curled himself up on a doggy bed by the window and Steve found his gaze straying towards him every now and then as he let out a little snore. He actually _was_ a little noisy when he got comfortable. He smiled down into his now empty mug.

Bailey glanced towards the windows and noticed the falling snow outside. “Were we expecting snow?” She asked, voice a soft murmur.

Steve glanced towards the window as well, watching the light flurries fall. “I’m not sure,” He whispered, gaze shifting back to her.

She hummed softly under her breath and turned her attention back to him to find him already looking at her. “Maybe I should get going,” He sighed, setting down his mug. “Thank you for dinner, Bailey. I really enjoyed myself today and, if you’d let me, I’d like to come back tomorrow morning and continue painting.”

She was smiling as she nodded, all too eager. “Yeah, of course, Steve. Hold onto the key for now and you can let yourself in whenever you like. My apartment’s usually locked, but if you need anything, just knock or give my cellphone a ring, alright?”

Steve nodded, moving to stand, Bailey quickly following suit. They brought their mugs to the sink to rinse and Bailey thanked him again for staying. “I had a nice time with you today, Steve and I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the children’s nook.”

Steve smiled kindly at her. “Promise you’ll keep it a surprise?”

“I promise,” She crossed her heart and Steve smiled, ducking his head and glancing towards where Jack had come over to say goodbye.

Steve reached down and ruffled the dog’s ears, scratching at his fur lightly and making the dog huff happily. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jack. Be good for your mum,” He coaxed, Bailey chuckling softly at the sight.

They parted at the door, Steve insisting he could lock up when he went out the front. He wanted to say more to her, to say _something_ more to her, but he couldn’t find the right words. Not while she was draped against the doorframe looking at him with those sweet round eyes, even darker in the low light, those perfectly pink lips stretched in a timid smile, her hair up in a loose floppy ponytail. She’d called it a pineapple the first time she’d caught him staring and he sort of got the resemblance, but mostly just thought it was cute.

Eventually he was able to pull himself away and head down the stairs. He forced himself not to look back over his shoulder, even if he could feel her eyes on him and had yet to hear the click of the door behind him. It wasn’t until he was out of her sight that he heard the door click shut. He let himself out soon after and went home with a lighter heart, a warmth there as well. It had been a long time since he had felt this way.

He was nervous and maybe a little jittery, but mostly just…happy. He didn’t know what to make of it all. He wasn’t sure he could bring himself to dwell on it too much right then either. So, he went home, took a shower, brushed his teeth, changed into pyjamas and crawled into bed. The quiet of his apartment was stifling and it didn’t matter how long he lay awake just _thinking,_ he knew he wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep right then. It wasn’t as if he needed all _that_ much sleep anyway. He’d be just fine.

At 3AM, he finally gave up and got up. He went for a run-despite the cold-came back, had a bite to eat and then decided to head over to Bailey’s shop. He could be quiet, keep to himself and maybe try and finish the painting. At the very least, make some headway on it.

He was startled around 7AM when he heard the code being entered on the door that led out to the alleyway, not the front door. He figured she must have had a delivery scheduled and they were just dropping it off. He hoped he wouldn’t be in the way and glanced up as the couple of guys made their way inside.

“Mornin’, we’re just here to setup something for Miss Varvaro, hope we’re not interrupting anything,” One of the men greeted.

Steve shook his head, smiling at the older man as the other carried in a tool bag. “Morning, no not at all. I just came in early to get some painting done. Hopefully I’m not in your way?”

“Not at all, we shouldn’t be long. We just need access to those bookcases there,” The man told him, gesturing to the tallest bookcases, the ones that reached the ceiling and lined the two major walls.

“Ah, I’l stay out of your way. Let me know if you need any help,” He offered, smiling kindly at the men before he turned his attention back to the painting as they moved on to do whatever it was they’d come to do.

Steve lost track of time again, as he always did whenever he was drawing or painting. Eventually he was brought out of his trance when one of the men said goodbye as they passed and Steve hummed and returned it, listening as they left, the door locking behind them. Not long after that he heard Jack bark upstairs and he smiled, picturing the pup jumping up and down at Bailey’s feet to try and get her to let him out. There was a secondary door up to her apartment just off the kitchen that would allow her to send Jack down the fire escape to the end of the alley real quick where there was the lone tree and small plot of grass-now snow covered-and only after he heard her unlock that door did he start to tidy up his things.

He was in the midst of re-hanging the sheet to hide his work when the door to Bailey’s apartment unlocked and opened. He knew she wouldn’t immediately know he was there if he didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t want to startle her. Luckily, he didn’t, when Jack came bouncing down the stairs and barked happily when he saw Steve.

“Hey, Jack,” He greeted, smiling as the dog attempted to bowl him over.

“ _Steve?_ ” Bailey called. “Is that you?”

“Yeah! Sorry, I hope you don’t mind. I came by a little early to get some painting done,” He called back.

He turned when he heard her steady footfalls on the wooden stairs and was surprised to find that she was still in pyjamas. He blinked, watching as the rest of her frame came into view. She was clad in a black silk robe that was open at the front that allowed him a glimpse of her in a soft pink nightie underneath before she drew it closed more fully, tying it closed with a big floppy bow at her hip.

“No, I don’t mind, of course not, _oh-_ “ She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, gaze having strayed from Steve to the bookcases. “They came, I’d forgotten they were coming to put these together today. Wow, aren’t they ever lovely.”

Steve looked too and was surprised to find a ladder of sorts propped up against the bookshelf. Actually…it looked as if it were somehow _attached_ to it and when he glanced to the other bookshelf that lined the other wall and found a second ladder positioned there too, he shook his head. They were both made out of what looked to be wrought iron and a dark wood. They were well made, fancy but rustic in a way he thought was quite gorgeous.

Steve was quiet as he watched her walk towards the one closest to her, looking for all the world entranced by what she saw. He was pretty sure he’d seen ladders in Libraries before, actually. Though he couldn’t recall seeing any ladders in the Library a few blocks from here and that place was huge.

“Did you ever see _Beauty and the Beast_ as a kid?” She asked, voice quiet as she stepped up to one of the ladders.

He shook his head and quickly realized that she couldn’t exactly _see_ that, so he cleared his throat. “No, I haven’t. It’s a _Disney_ movie, right?”

Bailey hummed, nodding and Steve could tell that she was still a bit sleepy, her eyes heavy with it, but he couldn’t help a smile as she reached out towards the ladder with a delicate hand and wrapped her fingers around the iron.

“Yeah, one of my favourite movies as a kid. Belle, she’s the princess of the story, I guess. She’s trapped with this Beast who is really just a man, a prince, but um, before all that-“ She laughed a little, getting ahead of herself. “Well, she was an avid reader, loved to read all kinds of books and she came from a small town where that wasn’t really desirable in a woman. Head always in the clouds and more focused on books than real life at times.”

Steve walked a few steps closer, still a couple of feet away from her, but he just wanted to be closer. “Anyway, she resonated with me as a character and I just remember this one scene at the beginning. She’s in this bookshop and she’s so excited to pick out a book and she’s explaining to the shop owner that she’s already read every book in the shop and they’re just laughing together and then she’s up-”

She blew out a breath and raised her foot, placing the sole against the bottom rung of the ladder as she pulled herself up first one step and then another. “On this ladder and she’s daydreaming and she’s positively _beaming_ , she’s so _happy_ and then she just-“ She pushed herself sideways suddenly from the shelf and Steve’s eyes widened when she moved safely on the ladder along the length of the bookcase closer to him.

She laughed, joyous and absolutely _delighted_ as she was carried partway down the bookcase and Steve shook his head in wonder at this woman. He knew he must be smiling at her ridiculously, but he couldn’t really help himself. Not when faced with her own smile practically lighting up the room. She looked absolutely _giddy_ with it and Steve couldn’t help himself, eyes full of amusement as he walked that much closer to her.

She was shaking her head as he approached and when she turned to look for him, her breath caught. He was much closer than she originally thought but she didn’t startle, merely looked down at him from her perch and smiled at him, quite bashfully, he thought.

“Sorry, I must seem so childish, getting all excited by a children’s film-“

Steve scoffed, interrupting her. “You love to read, you love your books and your Libraries. Bailey, I don’t think that’s childish at all. Besides, it makes you happy, doesn’t it? Reading, writing, sharing that passion with others? Why should a ladder that puts such a gorgeous smile on your face and make you recall something fond from your childhood be childish-and why is being childish a _bad_ thing, anyway?”

Bailey laughed again, shaking her head as she leaned a little more of her wight on the ladder. “I suppose it isn’t always bad,” She conceded, her brown eyes so sweetly crinkled at the corners as she looked at him.

She bit her lower lip gently and gripped the sides of the ladder a bit tighter. “You called my smile gorgeous,” She whispered after a beat.

Steve exhaled shakily. “Yeah, because it is. _You_ are.”

Bailey’s cheeks flushed adorably and Steve’s gaze softened, his smile too. “T-thank you.”

He had the sudden urge to lean up and kiss her right there. The thought startled him, but what startled him more was when she reached out to him and carded her long fingers through his blond hair, her nails lightly scratching at his scalp. He didn’t flinch away from her touch, instead leaning slightly into the warmth of her hand in his hair as she caressed the top of his head. She trailed her fingertips along his temple, down the side of his face, up over his cheek. So, _so_ slowly.

He’d practically stopped breathing at the incredibly soft caress and didn’t realize it at the time, but he’d also closed his eyes. It’d been so long since someone had touched him, shown kindness in their touches even. It was always so clinical after the serum, after the ice, no one touched him with kindness or passion or love. He swallowed thickly and opened his eyes when he felt the gentle caress of her thumb at the edge of his mouth.

“I should head up and get dressed,” She said, voice no higher than a whisper.

They’d shifted somehow even closer to one another while he’d had his eyes closed. Well, _he’d_ certainly shifted closer to her. She hadn’t moved much from her spot on the ladder, but she was definitely leaning in towards him more, her hand still tentatively cupping his cheek, thumb resting lightly next to his mouth, barely grazing his lips.

“I have a few errands to run today,” She told him when he made no attempt to speak.

He did nod though and after a moment more of silence, she couldn’t resist filling it with something else. “Something I need to go pick up,“ He nodded again, slower this time.

“Okay.”

She swallowed hard and nodded to herself but continued to hold his face carefully in her hand, reluctant to move. “Is there, um-“ She cleared her throat. “Do you want to stay here and…keep painting, while I’m out?”

“I could do that,” He breathed, gaze never leaving hers. “Though, I may pop out to run a few errands of my own.”

Bailey hummed quietly and Steve tried not to let his lips twitch when the tips of her fingers caressed along his jawline. He was pretty sure he wasn’t imagining the way her next breath appeared shaky, not the way her dark eyes-as close as they were the colour of espresso beans, they also had slivers of caramel wound throughout-dropped to look at his lips which suddenly felt far too dry. He barely resisted the urge to lick his lips, but didn’t bother to keep his own gaze from slipping down to her plush pink ones before flicking back up to her eyes once more.

“Okay,” She whispered, still making no move to take her hand from his face; not that he really wanted her to in the first place.

She blinked suddenly, seemingly coming to her senses and withdrew her hand carefully. “I’ll-“ She faltered then and Steve took a small step away from her, feeling for all the world like he was overwhelming her and he wasn’t even _doing_ anything.

She huffed an embarrassed sort of laugh and then proceeded to take a step down on the ladder. Her foot slipped, however, and her sharp gasp of surprise had Steve stepping in and grasping her carefully around the waist. He didn’t think much of it as he slipped his arm around her waist and simply picked her up from the ladder and set her safely down on the floor.

“You probably shouldn’t use the ladder without shoes,” He told her, smiling kindly as he set her to rights.

She wasn’t letting him go though, her hands clutching weakly at the front of his shirt, no doubt crinkling it in her tight grasp. “Yeah,” Her voice was nothing but a breathy whisper. “You’re probably right,” She admitted, looking up at him with a dreamy sort of look in her eyes.

Steve took a deep breath and unable to help himself, gently smoothed his hands down her sides, feeling her- _only a little-_ over her robe, her nightgown. She shivered beneath his careful touch and Steve tried not to let his breath come out any shakier than he was already feeling as he let her go a second later.

She dropped her hands hastily from his chest, releasing his shirt and blushing hotly as she took a step back from him. “T-thanks.”

“No problem,” He assured and attempted to ignore the way his insides were churning with heat and nervous butterflies; he _really_ wanted to kiss her.

“I’ll just-“ She jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards the staircase to her apartment, eyes still wide and pinned on him.

“Sure, I’ll uh, see you later. I’m going to let myself out for now, but I’ll be back a bit later to continue painting. Just…send me a text if you’re on your way back, so I can cover it up, in case it’s not finished.”

Bailey nodded lightly, already taking a step back towards the stairs. “Okay, I’ll-I’ll text you,” She agreed, a nervous smile on her face, cheeks blooming with a fresh blush.

She nearly stumbled over Jack in her dazed state and she laughed lightly at herself- _embarrassed_ -turning her attention proper to the stairs and her pup as he looked up at her expectantly. “See you later,” He called after her as she started up the stairs, Jack trailing along behind her happily.

“Yep!” She called back and Steve struggled not to grin like an idiot as soon as she was out of sight.

If he could hear her light laughter after she was safely inside her apartment with the door closed, then that was for him to know and no one else to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve finished the mural late that afternoon, with a few impromptu additions, but he’d immediately covered it back up again. He’d spent the better part of an hour staring at it once he’d finished and…well, it was done, he just…wasn’t ready for her to see it, is all. That was fine, there would be time.

After he’d had a mini panic about it, he’d sent a text to Bailey to let her know he’d gone home to change. He hadn’t expected her to call him.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“ _Hi, Steve. I was uh-just wondering…do you have any plans tonight?_ ”

“ _Not really, no. Did you have something in mind?_ ”

“ _Well, we never did watch that movie last night…_ ”

“ _How about…I bring dinner and we watch a movie. Something_ _Disney._ ”

“ _Really?_ ”

“ _Yeah, I never did see Beauty and the Beast, why don’t we watch that?_ ”

“ _That, that sounds great, Steve._ ”

“ _Perfect, so,_ _how do you feel about fish?_ ”

The conversation devolved after that, Steve promising to bring by everything to make dinner at her place around 6PM and Bailey promising to have the rest of her boxes unpacked or at the very least put away. They’d laughed on the phone together and the little bit of awkwardness that had been there that morning was now completely gone and replaced with a kind of tension that had Steve’s blood thrumming with excess adrenaline.

But it would be fine, _totally fine._

.

Dinner went off without a hitch, they’d laughed and chatted together while cooking and then gone quiet and contemplative while enjoying it. Bailey had poured them both a little white wine with dinner and they brought it along to the living room after the dishes were squared away.

She put on _Beauty and the Beast_ and Steve fell in love with animation all over again. All he could think of while watching it was how much it reminded him of _Snow White_ and the time Bucky had taken him to see it at the theatre. Bailey had been quiet through most of the film, casting glances to Steve every so often as he watched the movie for the first time. They’d watched the bookshop scene together and Steve had looked over at her fondly afterwards, noting her happy smile, the gleam in her dark eyes.

There was a later scene, however, where Steve really lit up and he chuckled, prompting Bailey to glance back at the television.

It was the library scene.

“I bet you’d loved to have a Library like that one.”

Her eyes instantly turned round with adoration. “Uh, _yes please_. Isn’t it beautiful? Can you imagine owning that many books?”

Steve smiled, shaking his head as he watched Belle admire the Beast’s library. “It is beautiful and no, I can’t imagine ever owning so many books,” He admitted, chuckling softly.

Bailey sighed dreamily then. “Oh, _I could._ ”

Steve grinned, turning to look at her and found her swept up in the movie once again. He was enamoured by her, to put it lightly.

They chatted on and off through the film, Steve gushing over the animation, Bailey swept away by the story. When the movie ended, neither made any move to get up, simply enjoying their wine and the now quiet apartment. Well, almost quiet apartment. Jack was snoring lightly by the window, curled up in his bed and sleeping soundly; snoring lightly too.

The television was clicked off and they sat in _relative_ quiet, both just thinking and sipping at their wine. Steve was idly swirling the contents of his glass as Bailey surveyed him, the blond looking as if he may want to say something. She didn’t want to prompt him, the quiet wasn’t tense, it was easy, so, she didn’t push. The quiet only lasted a couple more minutes before he was able to give voice to his thoughts, however.

“The first time I saw a film, in a theatre, I mean…James took me,” He said in nothing more than a faint whisper.

He’d thought about this a lot, about how he should tell her who Bucky was to him before their relationship or…whatever was building between them went any further. He thought it was important, but this hadn’t been how he’d pictured it exactly. But, it would work, he hoped. He felt comfortable enough sharing it with her after she’d told him about her father and what she’d been through and though he didn’t think she would be the type to judge him, not for this, he knew there was always that small chance that he’d got it wrong. Still, he knew he had to take it.

“Which did you see?” She asked, sipping lightly from her glass.

“ _Snow White_ …it was so beautiful. I was blown away by the animation, the colours, the way the characters just- _were-_ “

Bailey smiled, watching him closely. “What did James like about the movie?”

Steve laughed, setting down his glass on the coffee table and running a hand through his hair. “He liked the songs, all the singing, _Christ,_ I had to listen to him sing those songs for _weeks._ ”

Bailey laughed outright and Steve wasn’t far away. “They are catchy songs,” She agreed, still chuckling lightly as she relaxed back into the sofa cushions, turning to better face him.

“ _Yeah_ , not when you’ve heard the words _high-ho, high-ho, it’s off to work we go_ five-thousand and one times before 7AM on a _Monday morning._ ”

Bailey burst out laughing and Steve grinned wryly over at her, rolling his eyes both in fondness for Bucky’s antics and Bailey’s amused laughter. “ _Anyway-_ “ Steve said teasingly, nudging her with his heel against her shin where she had her feet tucked up under his thigh; _when_ she’d done that, he hadn’t a clue. “James had taken me to see the film for my birthday…on a date.”

Bailey stilled, fingers wrapped carefully around the stem of her wine glass. She was watching him carefully and Steve raised his eyes to look at her, wanting to see her reaction, meet her gaze head on. She was simply smiling at him, waiting for him to continue. So, with a deeper breath, he did.

“I’d asked him if he’d invited a couple of girls to go with us, more teasing than anything, really. He was always trying to set me up with a girl, usually on those uh, double dates I mentioned. But he’d just shrugged and said, _nah’ I thought you and I could go. Just the two of us, you know? Since it’s your birthday n’all._ I’d been caught off guard by it, thinking about being in a theatre, you know, it’s dark and intimate, I thought, anyway. So, we get there and he, well, he bought me popcorn and a soda and we sat together, obviously and he-he turns to me just as the lights dim and the music starts and he says, _gimme your hand, yeah?_ And I looked at him curiously and just, gave him my hand, because-“ He huffed, rolling his eyes at himself. “If Bucky asked, I… _sometimes_ did what he wanted of me.”

Bailey snickered a little and Steve shot her a quick grin. “So, I gave him my hand…and he…” Steve shook his head a little and blew out a slow breath, shifting in his seat to better face her.

After the moment he’d shared with her this morning, he didn’t think he’d been reading things wrong and he really hoped he wasn’t overstepping. He outstretched his hand towards her and watched as she eyed his outstretched palm and after carefully setting down her wine glass, she slipped her hand gently into his. Steve smiled at her and hoped it was at least somewhat reassuring as he closed his hand gently around hers, curling his fingers beneath hers before slowly raising them towards his lips.

He pressed the sweetest of kisses to her knuckles, the warmth of his lips bleeding through her skin and felt his ears warm like the blush spreading high across her cheeks. He exhaled gently against her knuckles and then slowly lowered her hand to her own thigh. He let it rest there and carefully withdrew his own, folding his hands nervously in his lap.

“And then?” She whispered, so soft, Steve wasn’t even sure he’d actually heard her, but he must have.

“And then-“ Steve breathed out roughly. “He said, _enjoy the movie, Stevie_ and held my hand through the whole thing. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, how he could-“ Steve shook his head, smiling a little wryly. “I didn’t look like this back then, I was scrawny, not so healthy, but uh…he loved me, told me so every day thereafter. But I just couldn’t understand how he could love someone like me, but he did, never stopped. _I_ never stopped,” He confessed, voice soft, nervous; unsure if he had wanted to tell her that part.

Bailey was looking at him with round, sad eyes. “This story doesn’t have a happy ending, does it?”

“No,” He whispered shakily. “But for a short time, we were happy. We had each other, after all.”

“I’m sorry, Steve,” She murmured. “You talk about him a lot, you…you don’t always use his name, but you say _we_ and I know you must mean him. I’m sure he meant a lot to you.”

Steve nodded, looking down at his hands, fingers idly tracing the seam of his jeans. “Yeah, it’s…been a few years, since-“ He shook his head, face scrunching up in pain; _alright, so, he wasn’t ready to discuss this._

“You don’t have to tell me, Steve. _Honest_ , though I’m honoured that you are sharing any of this with me,” She told him, voice quiet, sincere.

“ _Thanks-_ “ He breathed out shakily, rubbing his suddenly clammy palms against his thighs.

Bailey is studying him with an intensely quiet contemplation, but Steve is only somewhat aware of it as he finally managed to breath in a touch more normally. “I lost him,” He breathed out, voice sharp and somehow quiet at the same time. “I loved him and I lost him and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to come to terms with,” He admitted. “I lost my mother a couple years prior and he-he was there for me when no one else was. When I got sick, he took care of me when I couldn’t and I-I never thought I could find that in a person again,” He explained, bright blue eyes flickering up to meet dark brown orbs.

Bailey was staring at him in a mixture of pain and longing and Steve suddenly regretted ever opening his mouth. “I’m sorr-“

“ _No-_ “ She interrupted, hastily shifting forwards onto her knees beside him and Steve was surprised when he felt her small hands brace themselves against his thigh as she shifted closer to him. “Don’t apologize, _please._ I- _Christ,_ I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this must be for you, Steve. But I-you don’t need to explain yourself any more to me, to _anyone_. I just-“ She shook her head and Steve exhaled roughly as one of her hands found the side of his neck.

“It doesn’t matter how much time passes for you, Steve. You’re-I _understand, okay?_ You’re always going to love him, _miss him._ If you’re trying to tell me that things are moving too fast between us or that you’re afraid to move on because it’s too soon or that you’re really just not ready to date or even that you’re not into women whatsoever, then _that’s_ ** _okay_** ,” She stressed.

“You’ve been so wonderful and so _kind-_ “ She laughed then, shaking her head incredulously. “I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t interested in women is all, not with how amazingly sweet you are. But I’d never be upset with you for it. If we can only be friends, I’d…well, I’d manage. Anyone would be lucky to call you their friend, Steve… _I’m_ lucky to call you my friend…” She trailed off then, leaving Steve staring into her dark brown eyes with a desperate intensity she was wholly unprepared for.

“I was going to tell you,” He said, very, _very_ slowly, voice choked and full of an emotion she had yet to be able to name. “That I would like to go steady with you…if you wanted to, just that…I might need more time and you know, need to go a little slower than most,” He confessed, voice shaky. “But after…after everything you’ve just said to me, I just-“ He shook his head a little. “I sort of don’t want to take things so slow anymore.”

Bailey’s breathing nearly _whooshed_ from her lungs and Steve watched as she appeared to struggle with what to say, how to take that. For her to tell him that she _understood_ that he would _always_ love Bucky- _James_ -and somehow be alright with that? That was _everything_ to Steve.

When she shook her head a moment later, Steve a little confused and maybe thinking he’d somehow misinterpreted this somehow, she breathed out roughly. “How are you even _real?_ ” She whispered, her hand slipping from his neck to grasp his shoulder and feel him solidly beneath the palm of her hand.

Steve smiled at her, soft and shy, one of his own hands coming to rest gently against the top of her thigh as he reached up with the other to cup her cheek. She stilled at the careful touch and Steve leaned in close, marvelling at the fact that she seemed to sway that much closer to him as he did so. “I’m real,” He promised.

They were so close now, faces hovering a mere inch or two from one another. Bailey’s eyes crinkled as she shook her head a little. “I can’t possibly see how.”

Steve’s lips quirked a little. “What will it take to convince you that I’m here, really here…that I want y-to _be_ with you?”

Bailey’s smile grew at that, turned a little lopsided. “You want me, Steve?”

Steve breathed out steadily through his nose. “You’re evading my question.”

Bailey bit down on her bottom lip and Steve’s breathing hitched as his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the motion. “What would it take, to convince me that you’re really here…” She repeated, voice thoughtful.

Steve hummed, waiting for her to continue. Maybe make her demands. She exhaled slowly, her hand returning to where she’d had it resting before at the side of his neck. Her thumb swiped lightly over his pulse point and Steve hoped she couldn’t feel the way his pulse jumped at that simple touch.

“Maybe…if you kissed me…I might believe it…might believe you want me even, too,” She breathed, lashes fluttering a little.

Steve exhaled steadily, the hand lightly grasping her thigh flexing and making her breathing hitch delightfully so. “You think that might be enough to make you believe I’m real?” And if his tone was a bit more teasing than he’d intended, he didn’t have to worry about her getting upset with him.

She bit down on her bottom lip again and Steve’s gaze flickered back down to it, the path back up a hell of a lot slower this time around. “I think it might be a start,” She confessed.

Steve didn’t give himself much time to think about it all, thoughts of anything other than this wonderfully kind woman looking sweet and sexy, downright _alluring_ as she pulled him in simply slipping away and letting him _feel_. The warmth in his chest practically exploded, breath stalling in his lungs as he leaned in that much more and closed that small distance between them. He kissed her sweet and slow, exactly as she deserved.

She would forever be embarrassed by the whimper that clawed its way up out of her throat but Steve revelled in the sound she made, his insides twisting up with want at the mere idea that she truly wanted this too. Whatever _this_ was. It wasn’t exactly like he’d let himself think too hard about what it might be like to-to kiss her, let alone…anything else. Not _much_ …at least.

Steve felt her hand slip from his cheek, the other coming up to join it to grasp tightly at his shoulders, fingers digging in to the fabric of his sweater. He gently carded his fingers back through her dark hair, let down in loose waves as he drew her in closer, his lips parting against hers, the softness of her pillowy lips giving beneath his own easily. It was so easy to get lost in the kiss, with the warmth of her body so close to his, what with the way she’d practically crawled into his lap. He basked in the warmth of her hands against him, even through his shirt he could feel her warmth.

It wasn’t until he nipped lightly at her bottom lip as he attempted to slow their kiss down, that they finally broke apart, gasping for air. Well, Bailey was gasping for air while Steve panted lightly. Not exactly out of breath, but feeling breathless from it nevertheless.

“ _Steve-_ “ She gasped, her lower lip catching his slightly before he managed to pull back a touch farther.

“See?” He asked, ignoring the slight tremble to his words as he shifted his hand to her side, the other still buried in her loose waves, cupping the back of her head. “T-told you I was real.”

Bailey made a strangely unintelligible sound then and then she was shifting somehow closer still, the hands that had been placed at his shoulders shifting to grasp lightly at the back of his neck as she leaned in to kiss him once again.

Steve let himself be swept up in the feeling, the warmth of her lips against his, the gentle pressure of her lithe body as she moved to straddle him, urging him to sink back into the sofa. She was sitting farther back on his thighs and his hands eventually shifted to grasp her hips lightly, not in an attempt to urge her closer, simply just to hold onto her, to _feel_ her beneath his palms in such a way that would _ground_ him in the present.

He’d never done this with a woman before. Never kissed a woman like this or held one like this. Bucky had held him like this, once upon a time. He broke their kiss with a sudden gasp at the thought, the _guilt_ , not only of thinking of Bucky while he was with someone he was starting to _care about_ , but because he felt like he was somehow cheating on Bucky.

_That’s a load of horse-_

Steve willed that little voice, the one that sounded so much like Bucky’s in the back of his head to quiet. Bucky was gone and he wasn’t coming back. He knew that, he’d accepted that before he’d gone into the ice, but…

_But nothing, Stevie._

Steve made a soft _wounded_ noise when Bailey gentled him into yet another kiss, her teeth catching on his bottom lip in a light nibble before she swept her tongue over the spot. His hands spasmed against her hips and when he adjusted his grip, he maybe held her a smidge too tight, but he wasn’t hurting her, _couldn’t._ He was too aware of his strength to do such a thing. He shifted against her and couldn’t help himself as he tugged her more directly over his lap.

She gasped softly as they ground together- _only a little_ -and Steve broke free of their kiss to whisper an apology but she was having none of it.

“I’ve never felt like this before, I-“ She shook her head, her hands slipping from the back of his neck to smooth down over his chest, feeling him through the fabric of his sweater. “I don’t-I’ve never-“

Steve shook his head as she cut herself off. “We don’t have to do anything, Bailey. It’s okay, I’m not in any rush.”

Bailey made a softly curious sound as she nodded, still running the tips of her fingers up and down his chest, the warmth of her palms settling over his pecs again and again. He swallowed thickly and tried not to shudder as she brushed over one of his nipples, the nub peaked and sensitive beneath his shirt already.

“Just because I said I didn’t want to take things slow, it-that didn’t mean that we _couldn’t_ slow things down and-we haven’t really known each other all that long-“

Bailey was nodding before he’d even finished speaking. “N-no, you’re right. We only just met a couple of weeks ago. There’s no hurry, no rush,” She agreed, licking her lips as her dark eyes seemed to search his for confirmation.

He nodded, hoping his own bright orbs, certainly swallowed up in darkness at the moment, conveyed the sincerity of that statement. “No rush.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, Bailey’s hands entirely still now over his chest and he wondered idly if she could feel the pounding of his heart. He could hear hers, even if he couldn’t feel it right then. He forced himself to breathe in slowly after he realized that he’d stopped breathing entirely while he watched her. But _Christ_ , she was just so beautiful; hair a disaster of loose waves, settled every which way thanks to his earlier ministrations and her eyes, so wide and dark, her cheeks, rosy…her lips, kiss bitten and swollen red-

Without thinking, he was leaning in and kissing her again and she practically _melted_ against him, a soft whimper escaping those perfect lips as she opened up so wonderfully for him.

It wasn’t long before he was shifting her lightly, urging her to lean back against the length of the sofa as he leaned down over her, _followed_ her down more like. He was careful not to press much of his weight into her, but he did guide her back with a careful hand on the back of her head, the other at her hip, curled around the skin he’d managed to bare as her sweater rode up in their shuffling.

She was arching up so prettily beneath him, chasing his lips for more kisses, of which he was all too eager to give. “It’s not rushing if it feels right,” She breathed against his mouth, carding a hand through his shorter locks, her nails scratching lightly at the base of his skull.

Steve made a soft sound of agreement, momentarily shocked by the knowledge that this felt just as right to her as it did to him. He buried his face in the warm crook of her throat and pressed gentle kisses there as he attempted to collect himself. She let him, her breast heaving with her deep breaths as she turned her head towards the windows, eyes closed and lips parted in bliss as he continued to press searing kisses against her already overheated skin.

“ _Bailey,_ ” He breathed, the warmth of his breath against her throat sending a shiver down her spine.

“Please, Steve,” She gasped as she slipped her hands lower down his chest, over his stomach, his abs.

She rucked up his sweater and found _warm, perfect_ skin there and instantly flattened her hands as much as she was able against him, feeling his shaky inhale and slight shudder at the timid contact. “Tell me what you want, what you need,” He urged, pulling back from the safety of her throat to look down into her dark expressive eyes.

“ _You-_ “ She breathed, barely took any time at all to think about it. “Just…you.”

Steve hummed softly, nuzzling her nose lightly with his own. “I’m here, you have me,” He consoled, seeing the slightly frantic look in her eyes; the desperate edge there.

She shook her head a little, brows pinching up slightly as she watched him, her hands that had stilled against his abs slowly shifting a little lower as she struggled to find her voice. Steve’s lashes fluttered as her fingertips curled over the waistband of his jeans, brushing heated skin as her thumbs skimmed the edges of his belt. He was dizzy with the sudden realization that he was painfully hard and trapped beneath his briefs, his jeans feeling for all the world as if they were strangling him. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at the realization and instead let out a slightly strangled whimper when he felt one of her thumbs drop a little lower, feeling him through the stretched fabric of his jeans.

On instinct, he thrust his hips forward in his desperate need for friction and was rewarded by the sweet sound of her moan as she twisted her hand and pressed the flat of her palm to his cock, feeling him through his jeans. He panted in the space between them and forced himself to still his hips, despite the need to _move_.

“Fuck, you’re hot like this,” She gasped, arching up beneath him and shifting, _spreading_ her legs a little more to give him space to settle between them.

Steve let out an embarrassing whimper and instead of settling deeper into the _v_ of her hips like he so desperately wanted, he forced himself to bring his hips farther away from her. He shook his head a little as if to clear it from the fog of his arousal and breathed a little easier when her hand slipped from where she’d been palming him to settle back on the flat of his abs.

“If you keep on like that-“ Steve stopped himself, shaking his head a little ruefully, aware that his cheeks were flushed and his eyes must be full of a need he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

“Y-yeah?” She asked, voice much shakier than before. “You need it, Steve?” She whispered, voice soft and shy, almost coy and Steve groaned softly, closing his eyes as he attempted to collect himself.

“I need _you_ ,” He found himself gasping, blushing furiously despite his embarrassment, his _need._

Bailey made a curiously needy noise then and Steve’s eyes snapped open at the sound but before he could voice an apology-an apology for _what_ exactly, he wasn’t sure, but he was going to apologize anyway-Bailey interrupted him by leaning up and claiming his lips in a desperately messy kiss.

He fell into it, nearly physically falling on top of her when she grasped the side of his face to pull him in closer as she licked into his all too eager mouth. He groaned against her mouth and let himself get lost in the taste of her, the slick slide of her tongue against his. He tried not to let himself get too carried away with the feeling of her body rocking lightly against his, the way his hips so desperately wanted to rut against her in search of friction, the little sounds she was making that drove his blood to boil and made his gut twist with an aching need.

She broke their kiss a minute or so later, gasping and arching delightfully beneath him as his hand skated up the length of her stomach, feeling her beneath her sweater and revelling in the warmth, the _softness_ of her skin beneath his fingertips.

“ _Steve-_ “ She said shakily. “I-well, I have a-“ She gasped when his fingertips skated over her ribs, tickling her and attempted to twist away from the onslaught only to laugh when Steve had to right her so that she wouldn’t fall off the sofa. “Perfectly good b-bed in the other room-“ She finished, still laughing lightly but with a breathless sort of desperation that had Steve biting down on his bottom lip to keep the _groan_ he wanted to let out, escape.

Steve forced himself to ease up again and swallowed thickly as he looked down at her. “Y-you want to…move to y-your bedroom?” He asked, only a touch nervous…okay. Read: _a lot nervous._

Bailey bit down on her bottom lip as she stared up at him with wide dark eyes and Steve was once again lost in the headiness of it all. “Only if you want to.”

Steve swallowed hard and took a moment to think about that. It wasn’t a very long moment, that was for sure, before he was murmuring, “Hold on to me,” And then he was supporting her with an arm around her lower back and a hand on her thigh, urging her to wrap her legs around his hips.

He’d not pulled himself upright until she’d had both arms wound around his neck and he did try not to grin too widely at the surprised _squeak_ she let out at the sudden change in position but he was only human. He chuckled softly as he adjusted her and then easily carried her towards the bedroom, revelling in her soft hitched breath as she whispered, “ _Ohh_ you can carry me around any day of the week, Steve,” And then shifted her weight a little, forcing him to shift his grasp on her in turn.

One of his large hands slipped from her thigh to grasp lightly at her behind and she whimpered, practically _grinding_ against him as he did so. They barely made it through her thankfully open bedroom door before Steve was laying her down on her bed carefully. He hadn’t been in her room before but he also really could not care any less about what it looked like right at that moment, not when he had this gorgeous woman stretched out and looking up at him so wantonly.

Steve shook his head as he looked down at her spread out before him and nearly choked on his tongue when she suddenly grasped the hem of her sweater and arched her spine as she pulled it up and over her head, casting it carelessly aside. He was finally treated to the sight of her in a thin blue lacy bra and it was delicate and sweet against her already flushed skin and he found himself kneeling on the bed, straddling her thigh as he pressed in close to kiss her.

She whimpered as he claimed her lips, the slow drag of his still clothed body against her sensitive front making her twitch and squirm beneath him on the bed and it only spurred him on. He let the hand not holding him up skim down her side, over the supple skin of her belly and back up to the slope of her ribs. She wasn’t toned, she didn’t have defined abs or anything but she was _soft_ , her hips inviting, the slope of the _v_ there softer, with a give his thumbs were all too happy to press into as he pushed her down against the bedding.

She moaned, breaking their kiss and tilting her head back, the tendons in her neck standing out in sharp relief. He couldn’t help himself at the sight and immediately latched on to the pulse point on her throat, revelling in the hitched whimper she released as he started nipping and kissing his way down the length of her. She seemed to grow impatient after a few minutes of this gentle teasing, however, and she reached for the hem of his sweater, tugging at it uselessly until she huffed and pushed at his stomach.

He laughed lightly, getting the point and quickly sat back to grab the back of his sweater. He tugged it off smoothly and cast it aside, his hair no doubt a right mess from the static of the garment he’d just thrown to the floor. He was about to lean back down over her but stopped when she placed the palm of her hand flat over the middle of his chest and just held him there.

He couldn’t help the little shiver that wracked his frame as her nails dug lightly into his chest, her thumb dangerously close to his right nipple and he looked down into her eyes, practically begging her to let him move. He was unprepared for her to shake her head and breathily whisper, “See, you’re not real. You can’t be.”

Steve swallowed thickly and shook his head, reaching up to grasp her wrist lightly. He swept his thumb along the pulse point on the inside of her wrist and revelled in her whole body shiver at the gentle contact. “I am and I’m yours. Anything you want, it’s yours,” He breathed, lifting her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles feather-soft.

“W-what about what you want? What-what do you want?” She asked, shifting to sit up and look at him properly.

Steve smiled at her, letting her hand go so that she could use it to caress up along his chest and when she did brush her fingers over the flat of his nipples, his breath stuttered behind his ribs as he fought not to press into her touch, eager for more.

“You, naked, maybe…if that’s something you want,” He confessed, ducking his head a little and pressing a gentle kiss to the apple of her cheek.

Bailey nodded, her eyes still wide and yet swallowed up in darkness. They hadn’t even turned on a lamp or anything, though she did have one of those strange white salt rocks he’d seen on a number of occasions lit up on her bedside table so there was at least a little bit of light for them to see each other with. It had been enough.

“If I’m getting naked, then so are you,” She explained and Steve didn’t argue, already shifting back off the bed to unbuckle his belt.

Bailey was quickly stripping herself of her leggings, a task Steve was sort of glad he didn’t have to help her with, not with how tight they were. He inwardly chuckled at the thought before he busied himself with pulling his belt free of their loops and tossing it on top of his sweater so as to not make too much noise. He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and shimmied them down and off, taking his socks with them but not his briefs just yet.

He breathed out roughly when he next looked up and caught Bailey sprawled back on the duvet with only her bra and panties on, reclined back on her elbows and watching him with a heated and hungry look in her eyes. “ _God_ , but you’re gorgeous,” He muttered, shaking his head a little. “And not nearly naked enough.”

She laughed at this, biting her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle it. She was smiling though and failed to suppress her light laughter as she watched him, a dark flush to her cheeks and a heat in her eyes Steve felt he could be engulfed in.

“You’re not nearly naked enough either,” She teased, gaze slipping down over his frame to take in the strong muscles of his thighs, the way they bunched and flexed as he shifted in place.

Steve tried not to groan when she licked her lips, her eyes very clearly eyeing the outline of his cock which twitched heavily beneath the black fabric of his briefs under her stare. If the way her breathing hitched at the sight was any indication, she already liked what she saw.

“C’mere,” She murmured, sitting up and shifting onto her knees in front of him.

He swallowed thickly but obeyed, taking those couple of steps towards her. He stopped at the edge of the bed and she skated her hands up over the front of his abs making them twitch beneath her gentle touch before leaning in and pressing a warm and wet kiss to his pec, right over his heart.

“You going to get help me get these off?” She whispered, lips brushing teasingly against his skin as her fingertips curled into the waistband of his briefs.

Steve nodded, afraid to do or say anything else and shifted back a half-step to tug at the edge of his briefs as she leaned back to watch. He pulled them down and off, stepping out of them and tossing them towards his other clothes, ignoring the little voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like his mother telling him to _fold your clothes, Steven, you weren’t raised in a barn._

He was unprepared for Bailey’s breath to _whoosh_ from her lungs as she sat back on her heels. She was looking up at him with a mixture of nerves and desperation, _need_ and Steve felt it mirrored on his own face as he looked over her frame. He’d been right when he first saw her, knowing that she was thin, not sickly or anything, just…lithe, like a dancer might be. But she was soft too, a slight give to her flesh that made him want to grip her tighter, dig his fingers into her skin to feel the suppleness of her body beneath his.

He shook himself from his thoughts, breathing out roughly through his nose at the sight of her in only her dark lacy bra and pink cotton panties, all that supple tanned skin on display to him. “Steve?”

“Yeah, I-I’m here,” He assured, shifting forwards to kneel on the bed, bracing his other hand beside her shoulder as she laid back against the covers.

“You’re um-you’re quite-“ She huffed, unsure of how to phrase whatever she wanted to say.

Steve couldn’t help it, a soft laugh of his own escaped, blushing hotly as he leaned down further over her, kissing her smartly on the mouth for her troubles. She huffed against his lips, amusement clear in her eyes, before she’d let them flutter closed, of course.

“You’re hot, Steve. Like, _unfairly_ attractive,” She gasped, nipping lightly at his bottom lip as she twisted beneath him, one of his big hands grasping at her hip, thumbing at the cotton of her panties.

“Yeah?” He murmured, tone shy and maybe coy, but the way he was looking up at her through his lashes and the little twitch at the edge of his mouth told her that he knew _exactly_ how handsome he was and was using it to his advantage.

She huffed in amusement. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for a fisherman, Steven,” She muttered, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled softly, tucking his face against the side of her neck as he tried to hide his amusement. “Sorry,” He apologized, pressing a sweet kiss to her jaw, shivering when he felt her knuckles brush lightly along his sides, over his ribs in a whisper of a touch.

“No, you’re not,” She challenged, arching up in an attempt to get closer to him and Steve obliged, lowering himself a little more over her so that she could feel the warmth of his body against hers. “But, I don’t mind telling you how handsome you are.”

Steve breathed out shakily, caressing her hair lightly as he hovered close, pulling back enough so that he could look her in the eyes properly. “I don’t need to hear it from you, Bailey. You’re far more gorgeous and I-“ He huffed, shaking his head as he looked down at her. “Would really like to see you out of these,” He admitted, shifting his hand back to her hip to toy with the edge of her panties.

Bailey huffed softly, turning her head away from him as the flush on her cheeks darkened. She didn’t let herself think about it too much, however, a moment later reaching down and dislodging Steve as she started to shimmy out of her panties. Steve helped, well, sort of. He tried not to get too distracted as he let her slip out of them and within moments she was deftly undoing the clasp on her bra, slipping her arms free of the delicate fabric.

Steve was left to look at her in awe. The long line of her legs, the subtle curve of her hips, her breasts. He exhaled roughly at the sight of her nipples, dark and flushed with arousal, _hard_ and he’d never wanted to put his mouth on anything so badly before. He must have made a noise or other because she bit her lower lip and looked up at him through her lowered lashes and this close he could see the light speckle of the freckles over the tops of her cheeks, the bridge of her nose.

She wanted to say something cheeky then, maybe a, _you like what you see, soldier?_ But she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Not when he was looking at her searchingly. Not when he was not only looking at _her_ but somehow seeing _through her_ at the same time. She trembled beneath his gaze and Steve hummed softly under his breath before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her kiss-bitten lips.

They fell into it easily, Steve lowering himself even more so as they settled in to a rhythm together. It was easy- _so damn easy_ -to get lost in each other like this, wrapped up in one another in the warmth of her bedroom. The feeling of skin against skin, lips against lips, warmth against warmth. Steve couldn’t help grinding down against her hip as she arched up against him, drawing the leg he wasn’t currently straddling up his thigh and raising goosebumps wherever they touched.

“Steve, do you-?” She whimpered as he shifted down the length of her body, his mouth leaving a trail of heated kisses along her collarbone and down over the curve of one of his breasts.

“What’s that, doll?” He hummed, lips skating teasingly over her pert nipple, breathing ghosting hotly over it.

“D-don’t make me _say it_ ,” She squirmed at the pet name, what he was asking of her and she arched and gasped out when his lips parted enough to catch her nipple between them.

Steve huffed, amused and nervous in equal measure. “How can I know what you want me to do if you don’t tell me what you want?” He asked before closing his lips snugly around her nipple and swiping his tongue across it.

She _mewled,_ there was no other word for it and Steve groaned around the pert flesh in his mouth at the sound which only seemed to spur her into movement. Her hands came up to clutch weakly at the back of his head to keep him there or push him away, Steve wasn’t sure. Not that he minded either way.

“I want you-“ She gasped, all in a rush and when he released her nipple with a soft wet pop, she moaned, arching up beneath him.

It brought her hips in contact with his and he hissed at the contact against the sensitive skin of his cock as it slid against the slope where her hip met thigh. “ _Steve-_ “ She whispered again. “I-I want you…i-in me.”

Steve exhaled roughly through his nose and looked up at her. “Are you-“ He swallowed thickly as she interrupted him,“I’m sure.”

Steve hesitated, staring down at her in surprise, checks hot with an aroused flush. He didn’t want to ask her if she was sure again, but-

“I don’t have any uh-“ He faltered. “ _Protection_.”

Bailey blinked up at him and if at all possible, her blush darkened, gaze flickering towards her bedside table and back again in an instant. Steve’s gaze strayed towards it and he ducked his head a little as she bit down on her bottom lip, looking up at him nervously. “I may have…picked up some…just in case…”

Steve blinked. “Just in case?”

She flushed, practically squirming with embarrassment as she looked up at him from beneath those absurdly long lashes. “You callin’ me easy, Miss Varvaro?”

She sputtered, shaking her head quickly, both of her hands coming up to grasp at the back of his neck, fingers carding through the short hairs there. “Calling _you_ easy?” She laughed. “I’m the one who let you get me into bed on w-what, the fourth date?”

Steve snickered softly under his breath, blushing as hotly as she was as he too shook his head. “We did have a few others…lunch dates, coffee dates, painting dates-“

She swatted at his arm lightly and he grinned down at her, touching his forehead lightly to hers. “I’m teasing you,” He whispered, brushing his nose against hers. “It feels right, doesn’t it?”

She exhaled shakily holding his gaze as she nodded. “Yeah…it does.”

Steve pressed a soft kiss to her lips and both of them fell into each other, kissing sweetly, unhurriedly as the warmth built up between them once more. It was so easy between them, to fall into a rhythm together and after a while they each grew a little bolder, her hands wandering lower, teasing over his Adonis belt, her thumbs dipping lower while he explored the softness of her breasts, the curve of her hips, the strength of her thighs.

He felt her fingers twitch against his abdomen and groaned throatily when they wrapped lightly around his cock a moment later, thumb ghosting teasingly against the wet head. He broke their kiss to pant roughly against the side of her neck and he could practically _feel_ the satisfaction radiate from her as her tentative caress turned more sure, still exploratory, but steadier than before. Steve groaned, unable to help himself as he thrust his hips forward into the warm channel she’d created, the soft skin of her palm making his breath hitch and catch in his throat.

It was too good and it wasn’t like he couldn’t go again if he happened to let it get _too,_ too good, but he didn’t want to rush this, he wanted to make it good for her. He shuddered, sighing softly as he reluctantly slid from her grasp, pulling back a ways and urging her to shift up the bed a bit. She didn’t complain, shifting back for him and allowing him to take up the space between her thighs instead of straddling one of them.

“Tell me what you want, Bailey,” He whispered, stroking his hands down her belly, feeling her twitch beneath him.

Her next breath was shaky but her gaze never wavered. “You…your kisses, your caress, your-“ She shook her head as she cut herself off and Steve leaned down over her, bracing a hand beside her head as he kissed her lips, chastely.

“You have them,” He breathed, dragging the backs of his knuckles down between her breasts, down the light swell of her belly and further, fingertips skimming the edge of dark hair between her legs. “You have me.”

She whimpered, turning her head away from him then and he nuzzled at her ear, kissing down her throat, along her jaw. He let his hand move a little lower, the ghost of his caress nearly tickling her in its lightness. She gasped out when he pressed two fingers a little firmer over her soft mound, feeling the way her hair gave way to tender flesh, hot and slick to his touch. He was groaning before he could stop himself.

Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he bit down on the sensitive skin there. She instinctively arched up, gasping and whimpering loudly as she spread her legs, practically melting back against the bed. And then all at once her hands were in his hair, grasping at his shoulders, her nails raking down over his back. He grunted at the slight sting, knowing that even if she were to leave a mark, it would be gone within minutes. He shuddered as she shifted her hips, allowing the tips of his fingers to delve deeper into the warmth between her legs.

He could feel the heat she was radiating there, feel the slight wetness that had escaped from her and yet he’d barely touched her, barely even scratched the surface of her molten core. He groaned softly into the side of her throat and laved at the spot he’d bitten only a moment before to soothe the sting, feeling her shift, her entire body tense and strung as tight as bowstring and _Christ_ but she was _dying to be touched_ ** _properly._**

“Steve, _please-_ “ She gasped, Steve pulling back from the safety of her neck to watch as she fell apart in his arms.

He gave her what he thought she wanted, sliding first one finger and then a second, down between her thighs, feeling the wet heat of her properly. She cried out softly at his touch, her hands gripping tightly at his shoulders, eyes shut and lips parted as he traced a path through her slick folds, dragging the wetness back and forth, making a mess of her.

He was panting, breathing sharply through his nose as he tried to reign in his desire, the desperate need that suddenly overcame him, insisting he needed to be inside of her right this fucking minute. _Christ_ , but he could _smell her;_ the air already filled with the scent of them both and driving him mad with desire.

It wasn’t long before she was shifting her hips impatiently as he traced her folds, entire body shaking with pent up tension as he teased her, thumb sliding so close to where she so desperately wanted it. It wasn’t until she claimed his lips in a harsh kiss that he gave her what she wanted, groaning into her mouth as she licked into his, his thumb swiping hard and fast over her clit, that little centre that made her cry out and jerk hard against him.

He grunted as her nails dug into his shoulders sharply as he did so and jerked his own hips forward, his cock sliding against her folds for just a moment. But it was enough to make her gasp and him to pull back. He was going to voice an apology but found he didn’t have to when she suddenly flung her arm towards the bedside table.

“Condoms, Steve. Right the hell now-“ She gasped and Steve didn’t give himself too much time to think about it, carefully removing his fingers from between her legs, surreptitiously wiping the wetness on his own thigh as he reached for the drawer.

It didn’t take much to find the unopened box of condoms and he tried not to smirk at her when he saw the bag it had come in along with the receipt sticking out of it on the floor, half under the bed and dated for today. He tore into the box, perhaps a little more carelessly than necessary, but, it got the job done. When he’d finally managed to retrieve one of the little packets, he sat back on his heels to look at her properly. Maybe to once again ask her if she was sure. He needn’t have tried.

Barely a moment later and she was sitting up, taking the condom packet from him. Her hands were shaking, though his weren’t exactly any better at the moment. He was going to offer to help, feeling like this was supposed to be his responsibility, why, he didn’t really know but he didn’t exactly want to dwell on it either.

She surprised him when she suddenly shifted up onto her knees and placed a hand to the middle of his chest, however. He had been about to curl back over her, get closer to her but she stopped him, the condom packet open and discarded on the bed. Steve had barely a moment to react before she was carefully rolling the condom down over his length. He hissed at the feeling and although it dulled some of the feeling when she next stroked him, it was still way too damn good.

It was also a rather tight fit. The condom, that is.

He panted into the space between them as she finally released him and then she was looking up at him, nervous and unsure…for all that she’d just rolled a condom on him with practised ease. “H-how do you-I mean…I know _how_ , but do you um-“ She faltered at what she wanted to say next and exhaled sharply when she couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“Have you…never done this before?” He found himself whispering.

She looked up at him with wide dark eyes, cheeks flush and hair a wild mess and Steve’s heart beat even louder, _faster_ in his chest at the sight of her. “N-no.”

It was little more than a whisper of sound and Steve tried not to let his next words come out shaky and knew he wouldn’t succeed. “Neither have I…not with a woman before, at least.”

Bailey let out a shaky breath and it didn’t take her long before she was kissing him, urging him to follow her down, taking up the place between her legs once more. “Like this?” He asked, shifting to lay more on top of her, grasping at her thigh gently and urging her to tuck it up beside him. “I want to see you,” He admitted, voice soft but sure as he pressed soft pecks to her lips.

She was cupping the sides of his face as he told her and she couldn’t help the soft breathy gasp that escaped when he’d said that. “O-kay,” She breathed, leaning back against the pillows, feeling warm and cared for, _safe_ as Steve crowded her back against the bedding.

He nuzzled her cheek with his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the edge of her mouth as he shifted his hips forwards, closer to her body until his cock was sliding against her folds. She was trembling as she reached down between them before Steve had the chance to do so and then she was guiding him into her folds, spreading her legs as much as she was able and lifting her hips a little.

Steve would like to say he helped and maybe he did, but truthfully all he managed was the slight press of his hips forward and an overwhelmed grunt as the head of his cock pressed inexorably into her. She was so tight inside, so hot and wet and he groaned at the overwhelming feeling of her body clutching at him so tightly, dragging him inside of her.

Her breath caught and stalled in her chest as she held loosely onto his length with those delicate fingers. He pressed his hips forward, propping himself up a bit more to better see her face and then rocked back. Her breath escaped in a rush and Steve groaned as her body seemed to open up to him that much more. Her hand left his cock and braced lightly against his abs, feeling them quiver beneath her gentle touch. It was so overwhelming, feeling him pressing inside of her, twitching and so swollen with blood. _God_ , but he was so _hard._

If Steve had thought the condom was tight before, it was impossibly tight around him now. He groaned softly, dropping to his elbows over her as he took in her pinched expression, pressing a kiss to her parted lips. “Are you okay, love?” He murmured, nosing at her cheek.

She nodded, caressing his cheeks and smoothing her hands down over his shoulders, his arms, nails raking lightly against his creamy skin. “M okay,” She breathed, trembling something fierce beneath him. “J-just, go slow.”

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Slow as you need, sweetheart. Y-you’re so tight,” He gasped, gently rocking his hips forward and back, feeling himself slipping inch by glorious inch inside of her.

She moaned softly, her hands shifting lower to grasp at his hips, not pushing him away or pulling him in, simply hanging on to him tightly as he continued to press inside. Her breath continued to hitch as he worked his way steadily into her body. She was giving in so perfectly for him, her body opening up so willingly with every rock of his hips.

Once he was most of the way inside of her, Steve nibbled on her lower lip, making her gasp softly as she blinked open those dark eyes, near completely swallowed by black. “ _Steve_ -“ She breathed, arching beneath him and lifting her hips slightly to meet him.

He choked on his next breath, cursing sharply as he slipped the rest of the way inside of her with the movement. Her soft whimper was nearly lost to the desperate groan that escaped him. “ _Bailey_ , you-“ He shook his head before he was kissing her, near frantic with need as he licked into her mouth, pressed biting kisses only a second later at her jaw as she broke the kiss and turned away from him to gasp.

His cock shifted inside her, twitching heavily as he looked down the length of her body beneath him. She looked so gorgeous, flushed and spread open for him, her knees up at his sides, practically shaking as she pinched them in close to his body and he couldn’t help running on of his hands down her side and back to grasp at her ass before retracing the path all over again.

“Please move,” She suddenly begged, Steve’s eyes snapping back up to her face.

When he merely blinked at her, a little afraid to move for fear of hurting her and you know, going off too soon, she pressed her hips back against him eagerly and dug her nails into his sides. He hissed at the feeling of her grinding back onto his length and could no longer stop himself from thrusting into her tight heat, just _grinding_ into her just so.

She whimpered, tossing her head back and closing her eyes as he did so, a moment later shifting his hips back. It felt like slow torture as he drew himself back, his cock nearly leaving the warmth of her body entirely before he rocked back in, relishing in the low moan Bailey attempted to stifle and failed. He was panting probably harder than strictly necessary but unable to help himself. She just felt-

“ _Fuck-_ “ He muttered, gasping softly as he started up a shaky rhythm. “ _Sorry_ , you just feel so-“

“ _Good-_ “ She moaned and Steve huffed, capturing her lips in a heated kiss, not bothering to disagree when it did feel so good, so perfect.

He shifted his weight and slipped an arm beneath her lower back, forcing her back into a steeper arch. She whimpered when the shift changed the angle and then she was tensing up as she reached back to brace a hand against the headboard to push herself back onto him a little harder.

Steve choked on his next breath, surprised at the harder thrust in than he’d intended and couldn’t help meeting her even harder on his next thrust. “Steve, _yes_ -“ She gasped, her free hand grasping at the back of his neck to drag him into a fierce kiss as he picked up the pace.

It was easy to fall into a harder rhythm after that, her eager movements and pretty noises spurring him on. She was clearly enjoying herself and Steve was-Steve was far too close but he couldn’t bring himself to slow down. Not when it felt so good. He hissed, sinking his teeth into her plush bottom lip on the next thrust and was surprised when the hand she’d had digging into his hip slipped between them.

He was startled to feel her fingers trace the edge of where they were joined and immediately slowed his hips, overwhelmed by the feeling. She whimpered as he slowed and Steve glanced down at her to see her biting down hard on her lower lip as she gazed up at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

“W-what do you want, Bailey. T-tell me-“

“To come-“ She whimpered, grinding her hips back onto him, forcing her thighs somehow wider as her fingertips skated up over her clit.

Steve’s groan felt as if it were forced from his chest and he ducked his head a little in an attempt to collect himself. Unfortunately, that was the wrong thing to do when he caught sight of Bailey’s fingers-now glistening with her slick-sliding over her clit.

He exhaled roughly, his gaze snapping back up to her face as his hips kicked forward and suddenly it was easier to hold back, to focus on her pleasure and ignore his when faced with her so desperate to come. “Tell me how you want it, Bailey. I’ll give it to you,” He promised, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips as he breathed in the small space between them.

Bailey merely whimpered, shaking her head as she seemed to struggle to give voice to whatever she wanted to say. Steve didn’t push, just nuzzled her cheek, along her jaw, nipped at her throat as she arched delightfully beneath him. When she whimpered, turning her head away from him in the next moment, he sat back on his heels and let his hands naturally go to her waist, lifting her up by the hips and fucking into her sharply.

She _shouted_ in response, her hand momentarily dislodged from between them, snapped down to grip at the bedding that was all rumpled around them. The tendons in her neck stood out in sharp relief as she tipped her head back, gasping, _panting_ , barely able to get a proper breath in as Steve’s hips kept up their relentless pace. He worried for a moment that he might be going too hard on her and tried to slow down and was instantly reassured when she cried out, smacking a hand to the headboard and demanding that he, “Don’t you _dare_ stop, Steve or I swear to-“

Steve swore, biting his lower lip to keep from spilling filthy reassurances, praise, _anything._ _Shit,_ but he wasn’t usually the one with the filthy mouth-

“I won’t-“ He gasped instead, straightening up onto his knees and moving her how he liked as he attempted to pick up the pace again. “ _Promise._ ”

Bailey was whimpering and gasping almost constantly, little _uh uh_ sounds escaping her lips and every so often this _shocked_ sort of noise that had his balls drawing up tight and threatening to spill. It took all of hisself restraint not to come when she made those little noises, but when she suddenly went bowstring taut in his grasp, all sounds dying in her throat as he pistoned his hips, cock reaching impossibly deep inside her on each and every thrust, he was hard pressed not to come.

His rhythm faltered in the next moment and he moaned as her hand suddenly snapped down to his abs as she came and he knew she had, because her insides were clenching down around him somehow impossibly tighter over and over again and he was just as lost to it as she was.

“ _Bailey-_ “ He choked, curling over her suddenly and kissing her fiercely.

It was more sharing breath than an actual kiss but it didn’t matter because her body was still clenching around him as her noises started again, the soft near _wounded_ whimpers escaping her and the little cries of pleasure as he ground into the pulsing heat of her body making his cock twitch heavily inside her as he spilled himself into the condom.

He was grinding into her in these little bursts of pleasure, breathing sharply through his nose as he turned to bury his face in her neck, just… _breathing_ her in. Her hands had come up to caress over his head, fingers running through his hair soothingly as they both came down from their orgasms. Neither spoke for a long while, both still breathing heavily in the space between them. Eventually, Steve pulled back from where he’d buried his face in her throat and blinked open bright blue eyes at her.

She was smiling up at him, her own eyes still closed and she hummed in quiet content as he shifted above her. “ _Wow-_ “ Was all she said and Steve huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head as he looked down the length of their bodies, separating their middles a bit.

“Wow is right,” He agreed, rather breathless himself.

She shivered at the cold brush of air against her overheated skin, slick with now cooling sweat and Steve apologized softly, knowing she must be cold. It didn’t take long for him to adjust himself, carefully reaching down to grip the edge of the condom as he pulled out, murmuring a soft apology when she made a sound of discomfort.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked, obviously worried when she whimpered softly at the sudden loss.

“N-no,” She rushed to assure him, trembling a little as she closed her legs, breathing heavily as she took stock to see how she was _actually_ feeling. “Just a little tender…or a lot.”

Steve felt a little guilty at that, but hoped it wasn’t too bad, but when she finally opened her eyes to look up at him with that sweet smile still on her face, he knew it couldn’t be too bad. He knew he was blushing as he turned to climb off the bed, murmuring to her about just going to the bathroom while carefully cradling himself as he removed the condom on his way. At least it hadn’t been strangling him towards the end.

It didn’t take long for him to dispose of it, cleaning himself up before grabbing a cloth from her shelf and wetting it with warm water. When he came back to the bedroom with the cloth in hand, Bailey was still splayed out on her back, exactly as he’d left her…well, almost. She had her legs pressed together and tipped to one side, but otherwise, she was the picture of lazy elegance.

“That was amazing,” She sighed, turning to look at him as he came back into the room.

Steve flushed but he was smiling and well, he wholeheartedly agreed. “It was.”

She chuckled softly and then he was coming over to sit beside her, gesturing towards her with the cloth. She blushed lightly at it and went to accept it, but she was stopped with a gentle hand to her wrist. “Let me?”

She blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing even darker as she nodded. He moved carefully then, gently pushing her legs open and meeting only a little resistance at first. She was embarrassed clearly, but he didn’t think there was any need to be. He gently swiped the cloth between her legs, making sure to wipe down the inside of her thighs. She’d been glistening with her slick when he’s spread her legs and he did his best to clean her up properly, but knew a shower was certainly in order. Probably for the both of them as he’d somehow managed to make a bit of a mess of himself too.

When he’d finished, she’d taken the cloth from him and just… _looked_ at him. It’d made him flush and while she’d gotten up, body clearly a little tender, if her slower movements were any indication, he tried not to feel too guilty about that. She said she was alright and he knew he’d take care of her as soon as she got her cute bum back to bed.

“C’mere,” He murmured, reaching out to her when she came back into the room.

She blushed lightly and smiled at him, glancing down at where he’d pulled back the blankets so that she could crawl in next to him. “Knew you’d be a cuddler,” She teased, a soft chuckle escaping her as she slipped into bed, letting him wrap her up in his strong arms.

They only settled when he was laying on his back, her head pillowed against his chest, hand resting gently over his heart as he ran careful fingers through her dark hair, smoothing out the tangles. “Is cuddling a bad thing?”

She hummed softly, shaking her head. “Never.”

Steve smiled, letting his eyes close as he held her a little closer, tucking her tight to his side. “You’re so beautiful,” He murmured after a quiet moment, the hand not carding through her locks skimming along her side beneath the sheet.

She inhaled shakily and buried her face against his chest a little to press a sweet kiss over his pec, still uncovered by the sheet. “Thank you,” She whispered.

He turned to press his lips to her temple in a chaste kiss and she made a curiously embarrassed sound and burrowed into his chest even more. He adjusted the blanket around her shoulders and listened to her whisper goodnight, his own soft goodnight barely audible as she slipped off to sleep. He didn’t know how it was possible. How it was at all possible to feel this way for someone you only just met. It’d been nearly three and a half weeks of spending time with her, smiling with her, laughing with her. They’d teased one another, danced around one another with their flirtatious smiles and side-long glances.

And somehow, somehow they’d wound up here. To say he was _smitten_ would have been the understatement of the century. To say that he was anything other than _in love_ with her would have been a lie in that moment. Lying next to her, listening to her soft breaths, the steady beating of her heart pressed against his side…it was wonderfully perfect. Even the sound of Jack’s soft snoring from the other room was perfect.

He let himself close his eyes as he relaxed into her half embrace, the warmth of her against his side making him feel comfortable in a way he hadn’t found since waking up. He could have this. Maybe, he could have this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are we doing so far? Enjoying it? ^^


	4. Chapter 4

He woke the next morning to Bailey slipping quietly out of bed, at least, she was attempting to be quiet about it. It was still quite early if the light filtering in through the windows was anything to go by. Maybe 7:30AM; though, Steve was usually up by now. He listened as she opened a drawer, probably putting on clothes before she came back to his side of the bed and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek when he started to stir.

“Stay here, ‘m just going to let Jack out and then I’m coming back to bed,” She murmured, lips brushing against his temple sweetly.

He hummed softly under his breath. “You sure you don’t want me to get up with you? I could make us breakfast,” He offered, voice heavy with sleep.

She chuckled softly and brushed some of his hair back from his forehead, making him finally blink open those bright eyes to look at her. She was smiling fondly down at him as she shook her head. “Stay here, keep the bed warm. I’ll be right back,” She insisted, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips.

Steve sighed out happily, kissing her back as he rest a hand lightly on her thigh, his eyes slipping shut as she slipped away from him with a soft chuckle. He lay in quiet for a few minutes, just listening to the sounds of Bailey greeting Jack, letting him outside to run down to the patch of grass and the lone tree at the end of the alley. He’d remember to ask her if she’d like to bring Jack with him to the park later today to run for a bit. They’d done that a few days ago and they’d all had a great time.

He heard the _clink_ of his dog bowls being set down in the kitchen and then his happy munching as he started to eat. Bailey was quiet in the other room for a couple of minutes and he wondered where she’d gotten to when he heard the faint opening and closing of a drawer in the other room, perhaps in the office.

The creak of the bedroom door opening a little further had him looking up to see her coming inside with a timid smile on her face. “Hey,” She greeted, coming further into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Hey yourself,” He whispered as she leant over him and pressed a kiss to his all too eager lips and Steve thought he heard the muted thump of something being set on the floor but was too distracted by her lips to much care.

“How’d you sleep?” She asked, nuzzling her nose lightly against his and making Steve sigh happily.

“Better than I have in weeks,” He admitted with a little shake of his head.

Bailey’s smile faltered at that. “You’ve not been sleeping well?”

Steve glanced up at her as she settled more fully onto the bed, now clad in a pair of leggings and…his navy blue sweater. “I…sometimes struggle to get a good night’s sleep,” He admitted, shrugging lightly. “It’s not a big deal.”

Bailey searched his eyes for a moment but somehow knew better than to push and for that Steve was thankful. She reached out to caress his cheek lightly and he turned his head to press an open-mouthed kiss to her palm. “Well,” She sighed, pulling her hand away from his lips. “I’m glad you slept well…with me.”

Steve tried not to smile too big as he glanced down at where she’d dropped her hand to fiddle lightly with the hem of his sweater. “And how did you sleep, pretty girl?” He whispered, sliding a hand up the length of her thigh.

She shivered a little, whether at the pet name or the caress, he wasn’t sure but he’d make sure to test that out a little later. “I s-slept really well, too,” She confessed, a soft smile gracing her lips and a gorgeous blush working its way across her features.

Steve hummed, slipping his hand from her thigh to wrap around her waist and _tug_. She laughed lightly as he pulled her in close and then proceeded to bury his cheek against her stomach, breathing in the smell of her wrapped up in his sweater. She was still laughing softly as she started carding careful fingers through his hair

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Steve could feel the rising tension in her body as she cradled his head in her lap. He frowned a little and pulled back to look up at her. “You okay?”

She huffed a nervous laugh and Steve shifted to sit up to properly look at her, sensing she was a little distraught. “What’s wrong?”

“ _Nothing-_ “ She blurted. “I just…I have something for you,” She explained. “And I don’t know how to give it to you so…” She trailed off before leaning down to pick up a small black box she’d set on the floor without him seeing.

Steve looked down at the box as she placed it in front of him on the bed and then he glanced down at himself, naked, save for the sheet covering him and he huffed, abashed. “You got me something? Why?”

Bailey bit her lower lip, chewing on it nervously. “Well…you’ve been helping me so much with everything at the shop and I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me and I…I wanted to get you something as a thank you.”

Steve blinked at her in surprise. “But I wanted to do those things for you, Bailey. I didn’t-I didn’t do those things for you to get me something.”

“I _know_ -“ She stressed, laying her hands against his chest as she leaned up for a kiss. “You just, you did something so nice for me. I can’t wait to see the mural, I _know_ it’s going to be beautiful, Steve. I just…wanted to do something nice for you too.”

Steve leaned in and pressed his forehead lightly to hers as his hands found her wrists, his thumbs lightly stroking along the undersides. “That was really sweet of you,” He murmured, nose brushing lightly against hers.

She huffed softly, cheeks flushing. “Not as sweet as you painting a _mural_ for the _children’s nook_ because it was too _plain._ ”

Steve laughed, pulling away as he laid a hand on his chest as he did so. She smiled at him, her dark eyes rounding in adoration as he continued to laugh. He was so amazing, she wasn’t quite sure how she’d gotten so lucky.

“So, are you going to open it?” She prompted, gently nudging the black box towards him.

Steve smiled as he looked to her and then down at the box. “If you’d like me to.”

“I would,” She whispered, shifting to cross her legs as she watched him eagerly.

He huffed softly in amusement but didn’t keep her waiting. He lifted the box into his lap gently and tipped it slightly to see how it opened. He found the seam easily enough and gently grasped the top of the box, separating it from the bottom. Inside, there was another black box this one with a logo he didn’t recognize. He didn’t dwell on it. It wasn’t like he recognized a whole hell of a lot these days, so really, what did it matter?

He opened the second black box slowly at first and then let it pop open fully. “ _Wow-_ “ He breathed, tentatively reaching inside.

He carefully picked up what looked to be a very expensive watch, all sleek black metal with silver numbers and hands. He was shaking his head as he slipped it from the cushion it was wrapped around to slip it over his fingers, not all the way onto his wrist yet, however. It had metal links and he knew it would fit, even without the spare links he could see in the box. It would be a perfect fit.

He swallowed thickly and looked up into her face in most definitely awe. “T-this is beautiful.”

Bailey’s shoulders visibly dropped, obviously relieved that he thought so. “Oh good, I was a little worried it was a bit too bad boy-ish, you know, with the all black face and stuff.”

Steve shook his head. “Too bad boy-ish? _What?_ You don’t think I’m a bad boy?” He teased, gaze flitting between her and the watch.

Bailey grinned wryly at him as he went back to looking at the watch, thumb sweeping gently over the dial over the face. “I’ll call you a bad boy if you let me be the school principal,” She teased, voice dropping lower.

Steve made a choking sound and Bailey couldn’t help it, she burst into laughter, practically doubling over with it. Steve carefully set the watch back in its box and grinned as he rolled over with her, pinning her in the sheets and kissing her on the mouth, stifling her happy laughter.

But like all good things in Steve’s life thus far, it didn’t last.

There was a short sharp beep and then his phone rang from across the room, startling them both. And it was definitely not his usual alarm. He hadn’t startled nearly as bad as she had, but he tensed all over instantly and Bailey didn’t fail to notice. She glanced to the floor where his jeans lay and walked over to retrieve them for him. He thanked her and calmly pulled the phone from his pocket and swiped across the screen to answer the call.

“ _Yes-_ “ He said curtly.

Bailey had retreated a short distance away, wanting to give him privacy as he’d sat up in bed to take the call. She glanced down at the sweater she was wearing and wondered if she shouldn’t take it off and put something of her own on.

“ _Understood. ETA 20 minutes_ ,” He murmured and Bailey’s heart sank at the words.

He ended the call and stood, slipping on his briefs and jeans before he made his way over to where Bailey was standing by her dresser. “Bailey, I’m sor-“

She turned around quickly, shaking her head, a bright smile on her face. “It’s okay, Steve. _Really_ , I’ll see you soon, okay? Here, I can give you back your sweater,” She made a move to remove it but Steve stilled her with a hand to her wrist.

“Keep it, please. I’ll be back soon…I shouldn’t-no more than a couple of weeks, alright? I’m so sorry to leave like this,” He apologized.

Bailey nodded, her smile slipping a fraction. “It’s okay, it’s work, right? You can’t miss out on work, I understand.”

Steve shook his head even as he stepped in to press a kiss to her lips, hands coming up to caress her cheeks. “It’s-“

“Complicated,” She filled in, voice wry, smile a little dull.

Steve hated himself for it.

“It is,” He agreed, voice nothing but a whisper. “But I’ll…I’ll explain when I get back. I’ll make you dinner and we can watch another _Disney_ film together. I promise.”

She looked up at him through suddenly wet lashes and nodded, pressing a slightly wobbly kiss to his lips in return. “Okay,” She whispered, nuzzling his nose with hers. “Okay, we’ll do that. But what about your sweater? You don’t have another-“

“My coat’s downstairs, I’ll be fine,” He interrupted, already pulling on his socks and picking up his belt.

She watched him finish getting ready, carefully picking up and putting the watch back in its box and cradling it to his chest. She followed him to the apartment door and he hesitated on the top step, turning to look back at her. “Two-weeks,” He repeated, caressing her hair, fingers ghosting along her cheek.

“Two-weeks,” She agreed.

“Be safe,” He ordered, stepping down one step only to pop up and kiss her soundly.

She kissed him right back.

“You too,” She insisted, biting her lower lip as he pulled away again. “Two-weeks…you promised.”

“Bailey I-“

“Tell me when you get back,” She interrupted, lower lip trembling a little. “Tell me when you get back.”

He nodded and in that moment he did everything in his power to remember her face. Remember the look in her dark eyes, the way her hair fell in those loose waves around her shoulders, the freckles on her flushed cheeks. Because somehow, he wasn’t sure he was going to get to see it again.

He’d never been all that lucky, after all.

…

Steve was _tired…_ and achy and… _tired._ He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and regretted it when he smeared dirt and grime and probably his own blood over himself. He dropped his hand with a wearygrimace and looked over to where Stark was slumped-out of the armour-back in his chair of the little Shawarma place they’d piled into.

Steve looked around at these people, Stark, Banner, Barton, Romanov… _Thor._ His eyes were so wide, eyebrows high but not due to incredulity, _oh no_. He was just trying to stay awake at this point; they all were. He glanced down at his food, untouched still. He glanced towards the windows, the destruction around them…it was over…and he had a phone call to make.

“Does anyone have a phone?” He murmured, voice scratchy and hoarse.

Stark glanced towards him and without a word-words required effort right then and he got it-he tossed him a sleek black phone. Steve caught it, but just. He nodded and with a pained grunt, he stood up and exited the restaurant.

He was grateful the man had unlocked the damn thing and had already opened the call app. Steve wasn’t sure he had the strength left to ask him for anything else right then. Staring down at the phone, he finally managed to key in the number…one he’d had memorized for weeks.

It rang twice and then, “ _H-hello?_ ”

“Bailey?” He asked, voice tentative, hushed.

“ _Steve?_ ” Came the breathy response. “ _I-Steve? Is that you?_ ”

“It’s me,” He assured, exhaling roughly. “Are you okay? Are you _safe?_ ”

There was a sound on the other end of the line, a choked off sort of laugh, but it sounded watery and terrified. It broke Steve’s heart.

“ _I’m okay. I’m-we’re okay. The block wasn’t hit, our area’s-it’s fine, just a little dusty-_ “ She explained, voice shaky and hoarse and Steve knew she must have been crying. “ _The news, Steve-y-you’re all over the news-_ “ She choked. “ _Are you alright? Are_ ** _you_** _safe?_ ”

Steve’s head fell forward suddenly, the breath leaving his lungs. He knew, deep down he’d known that she would see the television, there had been crews everywhere, camera crews and camera phones and-

“I’m safe,” He found himself whispering. “We’re okay…as okay as we can be,” He amended.

All he could hear on the other end of the line was Bailey’s short breaths, her choked sobs. “I’m so sorry, Bailey. I’m so-“

“ _Steve-_ “ She choked. “ _I’m so glad you’re okay._ ”

The relief in her voice…it was _palpable_ and he felt it in his _bones_ too. He blew out a rough breath and nodded. “And I’m so glad you’re alright, too. W-where are you right now?”

“ _M-my apartment. Jack’s here with me, we’re locked in, w-watching the news._ ”

Steve closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his hand over his forehead, no doubt smearing more grime around. “That’s good, Bailey…I’m-that’s good.”

She made a soft _wounded_ sound and Steve’s brow pinched up in agony at her next words.

“ _I was so_ ** _worried_** _,_ _Steve. I saw you f-fighting t-those t-things and I-_ “ She choked on her next words, the breath stalling in her chest and Steve frowned and dropped down to sit at the curb, just…there in the gutter for anyone to see.

He didn’t care.

“I’m so sorry, Bailey. I’m so sorry you had to find out like this-“ He choked down his own sob then and shook his head, tipping his head down in an attempt to hide his face in case anyone _was_ looking. “I was going to tell you when I got back. I had no idea-I didn’t think it-“

“ _Steve-_ “ She whimpered and now he knew she must be outright crying, could hear the soft hiccup in her voice, the obvious tremble there too. “ _I don’t_ ** _care_ **_that you’re Captain America,_ ** _I don’t_** -“ She stressed and all the air _whooshed_ from his lungs.

Hearing her say his title…hearing her say _that_. He wanted to believe it, he **_did_** , but he wasn’t sure he could. He shook his head sadly.

“You’ll care when it puts you in danger, Bailey. You’ll care when I have to fight the next fight, join the next battle, the next _war_ ,” He explained, voice laden with responsibility, with _resignation._

“ _N-no, Steve. I-I won’t, you couldn’t possibly put me in danger. It won’t-_ “

“It _could_ ,” He stressed. “I’ll have enemies now, just like I did back t-then.” He shook his head, forcing out a breath. “This was…this wasn’t something I was ever prepared to deal with. I’ll never…I don’t know how I’m ever going to come back from this and I-“ He shook his head, pained. “I can’t put you through this. You’d be in danger. You’d _always_ be in danger.”

There was silence on the other end and Steve knew she’d been holding her breath when it burst from her lungs in a harsh pant. “ _W-what are you_ ** _saying_** _, Steve?_ ”

Steve hung his head, steeling himself for what he needed to say next. “I’m saying…that I can’t see you again, Bailey…I-I can’t. All I could think about while fighting those-those _things_ was whether or not you were safe. I _failed_ , Bailey. I didn’t-the Tesse-“ He shook his head. “I _failed_ somehow when I put that plane down. The person responsible for all of this was only able to succeed because I had failed then. I will always invite trouble, it will follow me everywhere I go and I can’t…I can’t put you in harms way. I can’t be the reason you die too.”

“ _Steve-_ “ She whispered, voice broken, devastated.

He could hear the heartbreak there and hated himself for bringing it upon her. “I’m sorry,” He whispered, just as heartbroken. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Bailey whimpered softly and he could hear her muffled sobs as she forced out her next words. “ _Please don’t do this, Steve. I n-need you._ ** _We_** _need you._ ”

“So does the rest of the world,” He found himself breathing tiredly.

There was a much shakier inhale then as she whispered, “ _They need Captain America…we need Steve Rogers._ ”

“I’m so sorry, Bailey. For all the pain I’ve caused you. I never meant to-I’m-I’m so sorry,” It was all he could say to her or he’d never go through with his decision to keep her safe.

“ _Steve_ , _please don’t do this,_ ” She whispered.

“I have to keep you safe. I couldn’t live with myself if you were hurt because of me,” He ignored the fact that he was hurting her now, but…it was for her own good, it had to be done.

“ _Y-you…you were going to tell me s-something bef-before you left._ ”

Steve frowned, his heart aching terribly at the words even now he still wanted to breathe to her. “ _Goodbye_ ,” He said simply, hating the lie, hating himself.

It tasted like ash in his mouth and he shook his head, looking down into the gutter at his feet. He could tell she wanted to refute it, tell him that was clearly not what he wanted to say, but she didn’t, she merely breathed out, short and sharp against the phone she was no doubt white-knuckling and Steve knew he’d never forgive himself for doing this to her, even if it was for her own good.

“ _I…I guess this is goodbye then…_ ” She was quiet on the other end, more composed now than she had been, Steve reluctantly noted.

“It…it is.”

There was a slow breath in his ear and the swish of what he thought might be her pushing her hair behind her ear as she readjusted the phone.

“ _I…I know you think you’re looking out for me, doing what’s best for me, to keep me safe, Steve. But you should know, I-_ “ She swallowed thickly and Steve got the impression that she was shaking her head, fighting with whatever she wanted to say to him. “ _I won’t ever hold it against you. I won’t ever hate you for making this decision. I know you honestly believe it’s the right choice-_ “

“ _Bailey-_ “ He tried to interrupt but she rolled right over him.

“ _Don’t, Steve-just-I won’t hate you for this,_ ** _ever_** _. I’ll be angry…I know I will, but right now-right now I’m just sad,_ ” She admitted, a soft whimper escaping her. “ _I’m sorry too, Steve. For not doing enough, for not being there for you in whatever way you needed. M-maybe if I had known-_ “

“ _No-_ “ Steve interrupted sharply. “It wouldn’t have made a difference. I wasn’t-I wasn’t ready to talk about it, not even with my therapist. But I started-I started because of you and I-it just wouldn’t have made a difference,” He stressed. “You were perfect, _are_ perfect, in every way and I’m sorry you had to get caught up in this, I truly am. But I deserve your anger, your hatred, so I…I won’t hold you to that. But it’s still-”

“ _But it’s still the right thing to do,_ ” She murmured, resigned.

Steve nodded, casting his gaze up towards the sky, now darkened by rain clouds. “It is.”

“ _And it’s your decision and I still won’t hate you for it because I know in your heart you think it’s the right thing to do._ ”

Her voice was wobbly at best now and Steve continued to stare up at the rain clouds gathering overhead and when the first few drops of rain hit his cheeks, he couldn’t help letting a few tears escape, hoping that they would go unnoticed.

_I love you_ , he didn’t say, even when she whispered it to him and the line went dead a moment later.

.

Bailey stared at the phone in her trembling hand for a long time. It took her nearly an hour to find the will to move and all she managed was to set the phone down on the coffee table in front of her. The television was still muted and the coverage of the battle, the wreckage, the heroes…still playing out on screen. She flicked it off, her gaze slipping to where Jack was curled up at her side, his head in her lap, a grounding weight.

She ran her fingers over his head, carding through the pup’s fur and feeling him breathe steadily beneath her light touch. And then she looked to the coffee table where the home pregnancy test lay beside its opened box.

She stared at it for a long moment and then stood up, careful not to disturb Jack as she headed downstairs. She stopped in front of the mural Steve had painted. He’d removed the sheet the morning he’d left on his hurry out the door and…when she’d come down and saw it that first morning without him, she’d cried at how beautiful it was.

Just as she cried now.

She knelt on the floor in front of the painting, her eyes roaming over the green hillsides of the mountains, the still blue lake with faint ripples at the shoreline. There were birds overhead, rabbits and foxes, even dear in the foliage by the water’s edge. There was a cabin at the base of the mountain, hidden amongst the trees with a fire in the front yard. A dog, Jack perhaps, was lying beside it, two empty chairs on either side of him, a book left on one. Hidden in the corner amongst the stack of firewood read, _SGR_ in neat script.

It looked peaceful, serene…a quiet paradise…an Elysian Paradise.

And as she wept in front of the painting, her arms curled protectively around her belly, she wondered if she’d ever find that sort of peace for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...how was that? Lol sorry for the ending. I will continue working on this. I've only written a bit farther than what's been posted, but yeah, it's going to work out, I promise. <3 Gotta love my happy endings. xP Let me know what you think, please and thank you. xo


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time jump! ;)
> 
> Also, thank you guys so much for helping me hit 150,000 hits!!! <333

…

Five Years Later

…

“Would you cut it out,” Steve admonished, ignoring the way Bucky snickered under his breath at his _so done_ tone.

“He’s just teasin’ ya, Stevie,” Bucky sighed, rolling his eyes.

“No shit,” He muttered, stealing his uniform back from where Sam had been poking at it with Tony offering his two-cents every three-seconds.

“ _Language,_ Cap,” Tony sniggered and Sam tried to stifle his amused smile and failed.

“Oh, don’t give me that,” Steve threatened with a scoff, picking up his uniform and thumbing the darkened star on the chest.

“I wanted a darker suit, _so what?_ Why are you all giving me such a hard time about this, anyway? It’s for _stealth missions_ , what’s the big deal? I’ve had a stealth suit before.”

“The big deal?” Tony stated, voice flat, though his eyes gave away his obvious amusement. “The big deal is that you wanted it in black, _black_ -not _blue_ not even _navy_ blue. Captain America can’t look so- _so-_ “

“So _what?!_ ” Steve blurted, more than past done with this conversation.

“Bad boy _-ish_ ,” Bucky filled in, head propped up in the palm of his metal hand as he looked at Steve.

Steve blinked, caught off guard, shoulders tensing and that little wrinkle between his brows deepening. “What?”

Bucky frowned, seeing the immediate change in the blond, hearing his suddenly small voice. Everyone else seemed to sense it too. “You know…” Said Bucky gently. “That bad boy kind of look, the uh-“ He cleared his throat slightly. “You’re always tellin’ me I look bad-ass in black, where do you think the bad boy term comes from?”

Steve was staring at him unblinkingly, an uncomfortably blank look on his face and Bucky was a little unnerved. What had he said wrong?

“It’s-“ Steve started to say and then seemed to think better of it. “Never mind, okay? It was a mistake, you’re right, it’ll look stupid, thanks for that, Tony, sorry I wasted your time,” Steve announced, looking back to the genius who was watching him with a pinched expression on his face.

“ _Steve_ , I never said it was going to look stupid, I just thought-well, I thought that black just might be a poor choice for you. We all liked your other stealth suit just fine,” Tony tried to reason.

“It wasn’t dark enough,” Steve complained through gritted teeth. “I was made on the last mission because of that damned _star_.”

The room fell eerily quiet. Steve didn’t get like this. Not in…not in a very long time. Bucky’s brows were pinched and he shifted, getting up from his seat to go and stand in front of Steve who was clutching at the uniform like he was ready to rip the damned thing apart with his bare hands.

“Stevie, what’s this really about?” Bucky queried, voice soft, aware that he had pretty well the rest of the Team behind him watching everything unfold.

Steve’s gaze turned soft then, but there was a sadness there too that Bucky didn’t understand. “It’s nothing, sorry. I’m being stupid,” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and Bucky reached up to press a reassuring hand to his cheek, making him still.

“You’re not, I just think you’re gettin’ riled over something more than just a stealth suit,” Bucky explained, watching as the tension drained from Steve’s shoulders, making him slump and appear so much smaller.

“It doesn’t matter,” He murmured, defeated and Tony cleared his throat from behind them, prompting Steve’s eyes to flick towards his friend.

“Why don’t you go try it on? At least let us see you in it, let me know how it fits and all that. I changed some of the specs for you that you didn’t like about the last one,” Tony suggested, chewing his bottom lip nervously.

Steve hated when Tony looked nervous, he also hated that Tony was feeling unsure of himself when he’d gone out of his way to do something for Steve. He frowned, feeling like an ass. “Okay, Tony. I-I’ll go try it on. I’m sure it’ll be fine though. Thank you.”

Tony rolled his shoulders in a bit of a shrug as he waved him off. “Course it will be.”

Steve sighed softly and looked back at Bucky who was still watching him with a calculating eye. “I’ll be right back, I guess.”

Bucky nodded and leaned in to press a kiss to his husband’s lips. “Course, doll.”

As soon as Steve was out of both sight and earshot, Bucky turned around to survey their friends. “Something’s wrong.”

“No shit, Terminator,” Tony huffed and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“No, _actually_ ,” Natasha said, glancing towards Bucky.

Bucky blew out a breath. “Right?”

“So he’s having a bad day, I’m sure it’s nothing,” Clint sighed, even if he was a little worried over the way Steve’s mood had shifted so quickly.

Bucky, Tony and Natasha shared a look, before they collectively turned their gazes to where Bruce and Thor were looking at each other. “I think that Thor and I are going to have to agree,” Bruce conceded, turning his attention back to the group, Thor as well.

“Yes, Steven does not usually raise his voice so and his eyes were…”

“ _Sad_ ,” Bucky sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Tony made a face. “I don’t wike it,” He whined, voice soft.

Bucky had to wholeheartedly agree.

.

Steve’s new stealth suit was a hit. All black was…a different look for him, _definitely_ but if Bucky had anything to say about it- _well_ , he’d been sold the minute Steve had walked back into the kitchen all decked out, sans shield.

“Alright, show’s over. Everyone needs to put their tongues back in their mouths-no, no, except you, Stevie. I want that in my-“

“ _Bucky!_ ” Steve choked, clamping a hand over his husbands mouth while the rest of the Team groaned, _collectively._

.

“Hey, Tony?”

“ _Yeah?_ ” Tony called back, sure that it was Steve who had called him.

He rocketed out from beneath the Shelby he’d been tinkering with and found himself looking up at the towering figure that was Steve Rogers. The blond smiled a little hesitantly down at his friend and Tony found himself grinning in response.

“If you’re busy-“ Steve started, unsure; Tony could see how he might think that, but really, he was _always_ busy.

“Not at all, you know I always have time for you, Spangles,” Tony assured, already getting to his feet.

Steve glanced down at his hands and Tony noted he was carrying a little box. Curious. “Something you need help with?”

Steve blinked and returned his gaze to Tony. “Uh, yeah…”

Tony blinked in confusion. _Why_ was Steve being so hesitant, he wondered. “Okay…” Tony mirrored, hoping to move him along.

Steve seemed to realize this and Tony could see the tell-tale flush start before he seemed to gather himself and blow out a short breath. “I have something that might need fixing and I was hoping, maybe, you could take a look at it. See if it was even something you could fix or knew someone who-“

“ _Steve_ -“ Tony interrupted, reaching out and placing a reassuring hand on his friend’s forearm. “Whatever you need fixing, I’m sure I can figure it out. Unless it’s a vibrator- _no_ , _scratch that_ -I could still totally fix your vibrator, it’d just really weird me out.”

Steve huffed, rolling his eyes and Tony really did enjoy the way the blond’s flush spread over his cheeks. “It’s not a vibrator, Tony. It’s uh-actually a watch.”

Tony tipped his head thoughtfully as Steve presented the box to him and raised an eyebrow when he saw the logo. “A watch…” He said slowly and when Tony didn’t take it right away, he set it down on the workbench beside them and popped open the lid.

Some days were good days and Tony could take whatever he was offered from his close friends, but apparently Tony wasn’t too keen on doing so today. Steve would make sure to make him some hot cocoa later, maybe Tony wasn’t feeling like himself today.

Tony peered over at the box’s contents and his eyebrows raised a little higher. “That’s a nice watch,” He praised, reaching into said box to pull out the watch, wrapped snugly around its little pillow.

“Thanks, it-well, it was a gift,” Steve explained, watching as Tony slipped the watch free of the pillow to examine it closer.

“A gift, huh?” He murmured, almost absently now that he was looking at it and Steve tried not to hover as Tony sat down and immediately pulled on a pair of glasses-one of his inventions-and then proceeded to pry open the back with a soft _snick_.

Steve did let out a little noise of concern and Tony rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, Steve. I won’t even leave a nick or anything, _promise_ ,” He reassured and the blond really did try not to hover, but well…he was an imposing figure and…blocking Tony’s light.

The genius gave him a pointed look over the rim of his glasses and Steve stepped back a bit, murmuring a soft apology as Tony went back to work. “It’s an easy fix, Steve. No need to worry.”

Steve nodded and then cleared his throat gently. “T-that’s good.”

Tony hummed under his breath and then rolled his stool over to his desk, opening a couple of drawers and rifling around inside before finding what he was looking for. He wheeled himself back over and Steve watched him get right back to work. “What uh…what was wrong with it?”

“Battery needed replacing, that’s all. I’ll re-pressurize it for you again too, so don’t worry,” Tony told him.

Steve blinked in confusion. “Pressurize it?”

“Yeah, it’s a dive watch so it’ll need to be re-pressurized. Usually people just send them in to _Bvlgari_ but you’re a lucky one and have a resident genius and a watch enthusiast on site,” Tony chuckled, winking over at the blond as he got up to take it over to re-pressurize it.

“What’s uh…that mean, dive watch?” Steve queried.

Tony paused, turning his attention back to Steve. “Your watch is a specially made one for divers? Like, scuba diving I guess. Though dive watches are worn by all kinds of people, even in the military, for example. They’re more durable than your standard watches and although it’s luxury brand, it’s by far one of the better ones on the market. You can dive up to 100 feet with this baby. Do-do you really not know what a dive watch is?”

Steve made a little embarrassed face. “No, like I said, it was a gift.”

Tony shook his head, eyebrows high in disbelief. “Some gift, let me tell you,” Tony sighed, turning back to finish fixing the aforementioned watch.

“Tell me what?” Steve queried, curious now.

“ _Steve-_ “ Tony laughed. “This is a 38,000 dollar watch, buddy. You got a special friend I don’t know about? Another billionaire lavishing you with gifts?” Tony chuckled as he said it, shaking his head, but Steve had gone eerily quiet behind him.

He didn’t immediately realize it, however, and it wasn’t until the watch had been re-pressurized and examined, that Tony turned back around to present the finished product to his friend. Steve was sitting down in the roller chair Tony had vacated and was staring at the floor with a sort of shell-shocked blankness in his eyes.

Tony stilled, Steve didn’t…he didn’t have a lot of episodes nowadays, but maybe something set him off? “Steve?” Tony said tentatively, voice quiet and careful.

The blond blinked and slowly raised his gaze to meet Tony’s concerned stare. “Sorry, I-you just surprised me is all. I wasn’t aware the watch cost that much,” He explained, shaking his head as he attempted to shake whatever was bothering him from his mind.

Tony nodded slowly and watched as the blond stood and came towards him. Tony handed it over without prompting and Steve admired it, swiping his thumb over the glass thoughtfully as he looked at it.

“Thank you for fixing it, Tony,” He said quietly, voice full of sincerity as he met Tony’s gaze.

“Don’t mention it,” He returned, automatic as always. “Glad I could help.”

Steve paused as he’d turned, gaze straying towards the watch in his hands again and Tony tried not to fixate on the fact that Steve was holding it so, _so_ carefully now…though, to be fair, he’d held the box just as carefully before he knew the cost.

“I’m going to go up and make some lunch, maybe some hot cocoa for desert. Think you’d be up to eating?” Steve offered.

Tony nodded slowly, still a little off-balance. Steve had been, well… _odd_ lately. Just, a little sadder, more thoughtful and it had been worrying everyone. “I could eat,” He conceded, knowing it would make his friend happy.

Sure enough, Steve smiled and nodded and then carefully slipped the watch onto his wrist. “Great, why don’t you go get washed up and meet me in the kitchen in ten?”

“ _Fifteen_ -“ Tony countered and Steve gave him a wry grin as he clicked the links closed and then retrieved the box he’d left behind.

“Fine, see you in fifteen, Tony,” Steve called, already heading for the doors.

Tony couldn’t help himself. “Who’d you say the watch was from again?”

With Steve’s back to him, Tony could practically _see_ his spine straightening as he answered, “I didn’t,” And disappeared through the doors and down the hallway.

“Huh…” Tony murmured, well, wasn’t that something?

.

“You know, this looks so much like the painting at MJ’s work,” Peter said off-handedly.

Steve stilled, the noises of the group busying themselves with take-away containers and utensils, happy laughter and boisterous conversation around him fading into the background as he turned to survey Peter.

The younger man was staring intently at an open book cradled carefully in his hands. He’d been admiring Steve and Bucky’s private book collection and had come across a couple of sketchbooks, all full to bursting with sketches Steve had done over the years.

When Steve didn’t say anything, Peter looked up and turned the open book towards the blond, displacing the picture. “This one, did you ever paint it?”

Steve swallowed thickly, gaze flickering over the drawing in question. “No, I don’t paint much these days, I’m sure the style is quite common-“

“I dunno,” Peter interrupted, gaze now back on the sketch. “It looks just like the painting in the bookshop she works at. I’ve been there a hundred times the last couple of years, love that place-“

“I didn’t paint it- _that_ -drawing,” Steve said shortly as he’d made the few steps towards the younger man, easily closing the distance between them.

Peter looked up, startled by the bigger man’s sudden proximity and the tone of his voice. He was surprised when Steve took the book from him and closed it, carefully placing it back on the shelf where he’d found it. He swallowed thickly.

“No, no of course not. It uh, well it looks rather different I guess. There’s a cabin in the painting for one thing, there wasn’t one in the sketch,” Peter returned, hands dropping to fiddle anxiously at his sides.

Steve nodded, turning his attention back to the young man and Peter’s uncomfortable expression and he immediately felt guilty. “Sorry-“ He cleared his throat slightly. “I don’t like to show my work, is all. Here, I’d uh…if you want to see more, you can look at this one,” Steve consoled, pulling down another sketchbook, one he’d just finished filling recently.

Peter instantly brightened and Steve inwardly sighed, handing over the book. Peter was such a good kid, he didn’t mean anything by it. It’d just…touched a nerve is all.

“Oh _man!_ ” Peter exclaimed, already leafing through. “It’s all sketches of us!”

Steve huffed. “Yeah, I’m surrounded by you lot 99% of the time, don’t have a lot of other willing participants, so…”

Peter laughed and nodded, already immersed in looking at the artwork therein and Steve let his shoulders drop a bit as he started talking about some of the sketches. Meanwhile, Tony and Bucky had shared a quiet look with Sam when all three had noticed the rising tension in their super solider friend. It worried them, the way Steve either clammed up or snapped for no particular reason or other. It’d been happening a lot more lately and no one understood why.

Bucky was immensely bothered by it but he knew that in time, Steve would cave and finally open up to him about it. It’s how Steve had always been. Bottle everything up for as long as humanly possible and then some before he finally broke down and told Bucky everything that was hurting him. Bucky didn’t like it but he knew that when he pushed Steve too much, too hard, the blond would just avoid the issue or worse, lash out and then apologize later.

Bucky just wanted to give him time and space and hope that he’d be told eventually, though he always made sure that Steve knew he was there for him. Steve knew, he’d always known that. They loved one another with their entire beings, whatever needed to be said would be said, in time.

.

Steve broke down on a Wednesday. There was nothing special about the day. Nothing memorable or out of the ordinary that happened to prompt it. It had just taken time and apparently Steve’s heart and mind has just had enough.

Regardless, Bucky was not at all prepared for Steve’s rushed and emotion filled words.

“I cheated on you.”

He’d blurted it, in the quiet of the morning while he and Bucky had been seated at their kitchen counter, having just returned from their morning run. Bucky had been in the midst of raising his cup of coffee to his lips when Steve had felt the need to share that bit of information and he stilled, taken aback.

“ _Pardon?_ ”

Because Bucky was sure that couldn’t be right. Steve spent all of his time with him, there wasn’t…there wasn’t possibly any _time_ for him to have cheated on him with someone else. It just…it didn’t make sense. The fact that this was _Steve_ , just made it all the more ridiculous.

Steve blew out a steady breath and raised his eyes from where he’d been boring holes into the counter top. He shifted in his seat to better face Bucky who had also turned to look at him properly and steadily met his husband’s grey-blue eyes.

“I…cheated on you,” Steve confessed, voice strained.

Bucky blinked and then his brows furrowed, expression taking on an incredulous edge. “No, you didn’t.”

Steve’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, not sure what to say to that and watched in confusion as Bucky raised his mug to his lips to take a sip of his coffee. “But I did,” Steve found himself saying and Bucky glanced at him, his lips twitching a little at the corners.

“Oh yeah? When?” Bucky challenged.

Steve spluttered. “Why are you finding this so hard to believe?”

Bucky shrugged, shifting in his seat to turn completely on his stool towards his partner. “Steve…you never leave my side, like… _ever_ and no offence, but you’re terrible at flirting and you love me so damn much, only tell me so about 30 times a day-“

“Not saying it enough if it’s only 30,” Steve grumbled under his breath and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“So forgive me if I’m not entirely convinced that you cheated on me,” Bucky carried on.

Steve turned his head away as he mulled that over, Bucky a little saddened by the fact that Steve actually believed him about the terrible flirting bit. Steve could be a real flirt when he wanted, or you know…when he wasn’t being a giant horn dog.

“But I did,” Steve said, voice a lot more soft. “At least…I think I did.”

Bucky raised a brow at his lover. “Okay Steve, what did you do exactly?”

Steve frowned into his mug of coffee and Bucky watched as his shoulders seemed to rise higher up around his ears as he curled over it. “I slept with a woman.”

Okay, so, to be fair, Bucky hadn’t expected that, but if he was being honest with himself, he was a little intrigued. His gut reaction was to ask how he’d liked it, tease him a bit maybe, but Steve looked devastated and hurting and Bucky thought this was definitely going to explain the odd moods Steve had seemed to be experiencing over the last month or so.

So instead, he asked, “When?”

Steve made a soft sound as he cradled his mug of coffee. “After I came out of the ice.”

Bucky shook his head, features softening exponentially. “ _Steve-_ “ Bucky sighed.

He set down his mug and reached out to run his hand down the length of the blond’s back. “You didn’t _cheat on me._ I wasn’t-you didn’t even know I was _alive_ then. That’s ridiculous. Is this what’s been botherin’ you lately?”

Steve made a soft wounded noise that plucked terribly at Bucky’s heart. “Maybe.”

Bucky sighed, wrapping his arm around his lover’s waist and drawing him into his side, pressing a kiss to the blond’s temple. “Steve, I love you, god damn it I do…but you are such an idiot.”

Steve huffed softly and it could have been a laugh if it wasn’t so sad sounding. “Thanks Buck, glad you think so.”

Bucky huffed his own laugh then and squeezed Steve closer. “You didn’t cheat on me, Stevie. You met someone when you came out of the ice and you slept with them. I wasn’t there, we weren’t together, you thought I’d died,” Bucky said gently but no less sincerely.

Steve made that small sound again and clasped a hand over Bucky’s metal forearm as he slipped it around him in a hug. “Okay,” Steve whispered.

Bucky nodded, pressing another kiss to his temple, still damp with perspiration from their run. “Is this what’s been bugging you so much, doll?”

Steve nodded, closing his eyes as he tipped his head forward. “Y-yeah,” He admitted shakily. “Lot of things reminding me of her lately and it’s just-it’s been-“

He trailed off, shaking his head, unsure how he wanted to word it. “Difficult?” Bucky guessed.

Steve’s face did a thing and he grimaced. “It shouldn’t be though, Buck. I love you so damn much and I-why am I still thinking about her when I have you? I’ve never been so happy, I have you now, I have great friends, granted, they’re annoying as all hell, but I’m _happy_ , Bucky.”

Bucky frowned, pulling back from their hug a little. “I’ve always told you that you’ve got a big heart, honey. You may be happy but you clearly had feelings for her…she must have really made an impression on you to make you feel like this.”

Steve cut off a sound that Bucky thought could have been a whimper. _Jesus_. “She did,” Steve admitted. “I met her a few weeks after waking up and…she-she was just so _kind_ , Buck.”

Bucky nodded, rubbing lightly at the blond’s shoulders. “It’s okay, Steve. You know you don’t have to tell me any of this, right? You didn’t actually cheat on me and this was a…uh, relationship? You had with someone.”

Steve shifted in his seat, turning in the half-embrace Bucky still had him in to meet the brunet’s eyes. “I want to tell you, but I-if it’s not-if I’m totally out of line here-“

Bucky huffed softly, shaking his head a bit. “I’ll be honest, Stevie. I’m pretty damn curious about what happened. For someone to get under your skin like this, _years_ later, that’s…that’s a pretty big deal. But you only have to tell me if you want to.”

Steve bit his lower lip, brows furrowed adorably as he looked to his husband. “I love you,” He blurted and Bucky smiled crookedly, reaching up to brush some of his hair from his eyes; he needed a trim.

“Love you too, doll,” Bucky said, pressing a chaste kiss to the blond’s lips.

Steve returned the kiss and they tipped their heads towards each other, their foreheads touching lightly. “Tell me how you met her,” Bucky suggested.

Steve nodded a little and breathed out steadily. “I met her on my first trip to _Starbucks._ She…helped me navigate the menu and um…she recommended a drink for me and then uh, well she paid for it.”

Bucky hummed softly and Steve took a deeper breath. “We got to talking, she…she was in the process of opening up a bookshop and I-“ He shook his head. “There was just something about her, Buck. I can’t even explain it. She’d been so kind to me and so sweet and she hadn’t looked at me like I was a-a-“

Bucky got it, he did. He cupped his lover’s cheek and pulled back a bit. “I know, Steve, I understand.”

Steve’s brows furrowed and he nodded, blinking rapidly. “So you got coffee and chatted…”

Steve nodded. “I ran in to her a week later and she’d showed me her shop. She had a lot of painting to do but she’d insisted on doing it herself so I just…offered to help.”

Bucky smiled. “Uh huh. You mean you went looking for her.”

Steve huffed, looking away, avoiding that entirely. “Anyway, I started helping her paint her apartment and the shop. We just…got to talking, it was so _easy_ ,” He explained. “We uh…had a couple of dinners together, it all just happened so fast. We just _clicked_ together so easily. She opened up to me about her life and I…I told her about you, a little…I wasn’t-I couldn’t tell her who I was, but she knew _me_ , just… _Steve_ , not the Captain America schtick.”

Bucky nodded, watching as Steve took a deeper breath in and then released it slowly. “We…” He faltered then and tipped his head back, unable to look at Bucky. “At the time, I felt a little guilty, falling for her…but I knew it was stupid, that I…that it was okay for me to feel the way I did. But it was still there in the back of my mind, you were still there in the back of my mind, in my heart. I kept hearing your voice-“ He laughed a little then, turning his gaze back to Bucky. “Kept hearin’ you tell me I couldn’t talk to women for shit and just generally makin’ fun of me and it-it made things easier, knowin’ I was still carryin’ you with me, even when we couldn’t be together any more.”

Bucky made a curious sound and nodded, reaching out to caress Steve’s thigh. “One night, she’d invited me to dinner and uh…we made love that night,” Steve said shakily. “It was…it was amazing and-“ He cleared his throat. “The next morning…Fury called me in.”

Bucky froze. “The battle?”

“Y-yeah,” Steve whispered. “I had to leave, didn’t have a choice and I told her I’d be back in a couple of weeks.”

“What happened?” Bucky asked, voice having gone quiet.

Steve laughed self-deprecatingly at that. “I fucked it up.”

Bucky frowned. “How so?”

“I called her, after it was all over. _God_ , Bucky, I’d been terrified that she wouldn’t answer, that maybe she’d been hurt,” He shook his head. “She was so lucky. The block her shop’s on, where she lives, it wasn’t hit. There was minor damage but she was just fine.”

Bucky nodded, just listening, practically feeling the relief he’d experienced as Steve spoke the words. “I told her-“ He shook his head. “I told her I was sorry for not telling her who I was and I-I said we couldn’t be together because of it. That it would be dangerous for her if she was ever seen with me-“

“Idiot-“ Bucky sighed. “I love you but you’re a goddamn _idiot._ ”

Steve huffed and didn’t bother rolling his eyes. Definitely wasn’t the first time he’d been called an idiot and it surely wouldn’t be the last. “You told her, let me guess, something along the lines of, _I’m sorry, doll, but I can’t be with you because it’d put you in danger, yada yada yada, I’m sorry and it’s the right thing to do._ “

Steve was already grimacing but the way he wouldn’t meet his eyes told Bucky all he needed to know. “Well, you’re not wrong,” Steve conceded and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Thought so.”

Steve huffed, shrugging a bit as he finally looked to Bucky properly again. “Anyway, that’s what happened and just…the last couple of months, things have been reminding me of her and it’s just…had me feeling a little off-balance, a bit guilty for not tellin’ you and just…sensitive, I guess.”

Bucky sighed, shifting in his seat as he looked over his lover. Steve’s shoulders were still slumped, but the tightness around his eyes wasn’t so prominent any more. “I get it, honey. It’s alright,” Bucky consoled, reaching out and placing a hand gently on the blond’s thigh.

Steve blew out a shaky breath and nodded. “Thanks for being so understanding, Buck. I know I’m being stupid. I mean, I’m happy with you, of course I am. I’m so damn in love with you, Buck. You know that,” Steve told him, reaching out to cup Bucky’s cheeks in his palms as he leaned in to brush his nose against the brunet’s.

Bucky hummed, pressing a light kiss to his lips. “I know, doll and you know how much I love you, Stevie.”

Steve made a soft noise in his throat and Bucky squeezed his thigh gently in response. They stayed like that for a moment, Steve having closed his eyes and Bucky simply watching the blond’s face, the relaxing of his brows, the smudge of his lashes against the tops of his pale cheeks.

“You know, I’m not really all that surprised you landed yourself a dame, Stevie,” Bucky sighed, watching as the blond’s lashes fluttered open and he was once again met with those startlingly blue eyes.

“What? I thought you said I couldn’t talk to women,” Steve huffed, amusement in his voice.

Bucky smirked, pulling back a little as Steve’s hands slipped from his cheeks. “Oh, you can’t. What I meant was, I’m not all that surprised that you found a woman who ticked all your boxes.”

Steve’s brows knit in slight confusion but Bucky gave him a moment to parse though that. When he let out an amused huff and rolled his eyes, Bucky smiled, knowing he got it. “You sayin’ I’m predictable, Buck?”

Bucky snickered, shaking his head as he go up, taking their now cold coffee to the sink to dump, seeing as they’d be heading downstairs momentarily to stuff their faces with a much needed breakfast. “I’m saying-“ Bucky sighed. “That I’m not surprised you sought out a pretty woman-she _was_ pretty, wasn’t she?”

Steve’s cheeks coloured and Bucky smirked. “Bet she was a brunette too, right?”

Steve spluttered and Bucky downright grinned. “See, I knew you had a type, Stevie. You can’t fool me.”

Steve laughed despite himself and Bucky grinned, motioning towards their front door, knowing Steve would follow him to the kitchen. “So what?”

Bucky rolled his eyes, holding open the door to their apartment as Steve got up from his seat to follow his husband. “Nothing,” Bucky admitted. “I just know you have a type and what I was trying to get at, was that I’m not surprised you found someone like that. You found Peggy, after all and you and I both knew where that would have led.”

Bucky’s tone had softened from teasing to gentle when he’d mentioned Peggy and Steve blew out a slow breath as he shut the door behind them. “You and I both know that she found me, Buck…B-Bailey sort of also found me, too.”

Bucky hummed, glancing over at the blond before taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. “Alright then, but like I said, you and I both know where Peggy would have carved out a space in our lives if it had been meant to be.”

Steve swallowed thickly and nodded. “Y-yeah.”

They’d uh…had a rather interesting conversation one night together. Peggy, the commandos…they’d all been spending time at one of the local gin joints and admittedly, had a bit too much to drink, minus Steve of course. Bucky’s serum hadn’t quite kicked in yet and he’d been well on his way to being a happy drunk, when the Howlies had called it a night and left the three sitting in that darkened corner with the music playing and the lights low.

Peggy had shocked them both when she’d told them she knew what they were to one another. She’d also shocked them when she’d told them that she would be willing to help them after the war. And by help them she meant act as Steve’s _beard_ and marry him, get them settled in a nice home, have Bucky move into the little _bachelor’s apartment_ attached to the house and then they’d swap. It’d look like a perfect marriage with a live-in friend and no one would be the wiser.

The only thing Peggy hadn’t counted on was Steve actually falling for her and if Bucky was being totally honest with himself, he’d definitely _wanted_ to fall for her himself and had every intention of getting to know her better and maybe, _somehow_ the three of them could have made it work. It wasn’t like Bucky didn’t know that Steve had the biggest heart, that he didn’t know that Steve was capable of loving with his whole being and then some. Bucky wasn’t stupid then and he wasn’t stupid now. He’d known that Steve had loved Peggy and at the same time, he knew that he loved Bucky. Their love wasn’t like anything else, no matter what, they’d love each other.

The last few years were certainly a testament to that. So, Bucky _also_ recognized the signs of a _Steve in love_. He hadn’t exactly _said_ he’d been in love with this woman- _Bailey_ -if Bucky had heard him right, but he _had said_ , he hadn’t thought he’d _fall for her_ and that…that was all Bucky needed to hear to know that Steve had fallen in love with this woman.

Bucky was so wrapped up in his thoughts on their way to the communal kitchen that he nearly missed Steve’s softly spoken, “You would have liked her, Buck.”

Bucky was sure he would have. Any woman whom Steve thought deserved his time, his kindness-Bucky shook his head. He had no doubts that this was a woman he would have really liked to have met. He couldn’t resist asking.

“Did you ever look her up? After you broke up?”

Steve frowned, looking down at his hand grasping Bucky’s. “No…for the first while, I wanted to, but…I couldn’t do it, couldn’t put myself through it so I put my mind on helping people, doing what needed to be done. I figured she’d have found someone new anyway, moved on. She’s kind, sweet, I’m sure she has a family by now, even. I hope she’s living a happy life.”

Bucky hummed, hoping that too, but he didn’t exactly agree with his first statement. You didn’t simply _move on_ from Steve Rogers.

.

Bucky is a bad, bad man. Now, usually, he’d be the first to admit this and have to practically _defend_ himself when people heard him say so, but, he’d been getting better lately. But right now? He fully understands that he is a bad, bad man and is sort of refusing to acknowledge said fact. He’ll dwell on it later and make it up to Steve in a thousand and one sex acts, most likely. He just won’t _tell_ Steve, that’ll make it better.

He grimaced and took a sip of his ridiculously sweet coffee, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the city around him. People tended to give him a wide berth and today was no different so he allowed himself to lean back against the brick of the building he was loitering in front of. He was thankful he’d managed to snag a pair of Tony’s obnoxious sunglasses before leaving the compound, otherwise Natasha would have noticed the obvious twitch of his left eye as she sidled up to him, sipping at her own _Starbucks_.

“Who are we spying on?” She said in lieu of a greeting and Bucky huffed under his breath.

“Who says we’re spying on someone?” He countered, arching a brow as he eyed her.

She gave him the side-eye and he huffed, smirking lightly. “Fine, we’re not really _spying_ on anyone.”

Natasha continued to side-eye him and he tried very hard not to squirm under her stare. “We’re just…getting a quick look. No info, no names, nothing of note. I just want to see what they look like.”

“What _who_ looks like?” Natasha asked, attention turning back to the busy street before them.

It was just on 3:20pm and the street was packed with cars and pedestrians, so, as per usual, really. Bucky huffed, shifting where he stood. “Just someone, okay? If you’re going to stay, I’d like some peace and quiet please.”

Natasha arched a delicate brow and sipped at her coffee. When she didn’t immediately speak, he thought he’d won. He should have known better.

“She hot?”

Bucky snorted inelegantly and slanted a look at the red-head to find her already smirking and looking at him. “Haven’t a clue, though…I suspect she’s rather pretty.”

Natasha hummed, looking back across the street. “Going to tell me anything else?”

Bucky sighed. “Pretty sure you already know more than I do.”

Natasha shrugged. “I heard you talking to Peter about a bookstore,” She admitted. “I didn’t do any digging, just looked up the shop.”

Bucky hummed, knowing that Natasha wouldn’t lie to him. “So, who is she?”

Bucky sighed, shrugging his good shoulder a bit. “A woman Steve knew.”

“An ex?” Natasha asked and _Christ_ , Bucky could practically feel the interest radiating from her; at least he wasn’t alone.

He hummed and she shifted, gaze turning a little sharper as she looked across the street. Bucky let his eyes track along the front of the shop. He could see inside, but not much, not with the way the sunlight was glinting along the front of the shop and he inwardly sighed. Maybe he was going to have to go over there and buy a book. Though, he wasn’t sure he was quite prepared to do something like that. He was bad, sure, but he wasn’t like… _creepy bad_. He grimaced. Maybe he was.

He shook himself when Natasha suddenly elbowed him in the side and his gaze slid towards where the door to the shop opened and out stepped a woman. She was still half inside the shop and she appeared to be calling back to someone inside. As she stepped out onto the sidewalk, closing the door over, they caught her waving to someone inside too.

“Is that her?” Natasha prompted and Bucky exhaled slowly as the woman in question turned and started walking down the street, farther away from them.

Bucky’s feet were already moving, Nat close beside him as they navigated the busy sidewalk together. They were on the opposite side of the street from her and although Bucky wanted to get a closer look, he was not about to go over there. “Maybe,” He found himself muttering, gaze trained on the brunette across the way.

She was pretty, he’d give her that. Tall and slim, dressed in dark jeans and a simple blue t-shirt. It was a nice spring day, warmer days filtering in now and then as summer approached and he was thankful he picked a nice day to do a bit of recon. Her long dark hair was pinned back in a low pony-tail and she had a phone shoved in her back pocket…so naturally, he let his eyes trail a little lower. He huffed, annoyed with himself for checking her out so blatantly and snapped his eyes back up to her face.

He could only see her side profile but even from that he could tell she had striking features. When she came to an abrupt stop in front of a…daycare, Bucky’s steps slowed, Natasha following suit. The woman was smiling as she reached for the door andBucky caught a proper glimpse of her as she turned to hold open the door for another woman who had joined her.

Bucky blew out a breath. She _was_ pretty. He smiled softly, ducking his head before turning on his heel to head back in the opposite direction. And she was _happy._ Probably happily married with kids, seeing as she’d just gone in to a daycare centre.

“That’s it? We’re not going to go scope out the shop? Play twenty-questions?”

“No,” Bucky huffed, amused despite himself. “I just wanted to see her for myself, that’s all.”

“Why?” Natasha prompted, walking along beside her friend.

Bucky shrugged. “Curiosity, that’s all.”

Natasha hummed, but didn’t press. They managed to get almost all the way back to the compound before she spoke up again. “You going to tell Steve where you’ve been?”

Bucky glanced sideways at her and sighed. “No.”

“And neither will I,” She promised.

Bucky didn’t have to hide his relief. He was in trustworthy company, after all.

.

Three months later and everything was pretty well back to normal. Steve was in better spirits, a better mood overall. He wasn’t snappy any more, he’d seemed to have lost that sad puppy look and for that Bucky had been grateful. They hadn’t talked about Bailey again, Steve got what he needed to off his chest and that had been the most important thing. Bucky had told him he could tell him whatever and he’d never judge him for it. If he needed to talk about anything, Bucky would be there for him and Steve assured Bucky of the same thing.

Things were great, there hadn’t been any world-ending disasters, no crazy missions, no terrible villains, things were going well. So, naturally, it all went to shit.

.

Steve snorted and milk came out his nose, the rest of the team howling with laughter as Steve struggled not to make even more of a mess than he already had. He mopped it up with the hem of his shirt, turning the white material of his shirt transparent in spots while he continued to laugh, despite the embarrassment of having just snorted milk all over himself and the counter top.

The joke hadn’t even been that funny but that was Peter for you, innocent, sweet Peter Parker…who was not so secretly a little shit that they all loved. Peter was still laughing, grinning like a loon as Tony wiped tears from his eyes beside him, Bucky snickering and shaking his head across the kitchen. Nat and Clint were still laughing lightly while Thor, Bruce and Sam were shaking their heads thoughtfully at the scene before them.

Steve was still laughing softly himself as the conversation resumed and then Jarvis’ smooth voice was drawing his attention. “Captain Rogers…”

Steve paused, glancing over his shoulder towards the nearest camera. “Yeah, Jarvis?”

There was a lengthy pause and Steve’s brows furrowed, the rest of the Team’s voices lowering a little. “There is a woman at the South Gate asking for you…and while I would not typically bother you with something of this nature…I do think it important that I alert you.”

Steve’s smile slid off his face. “What?”

“She is currently being kept by security, but she is insisting that I tell you her name. She has also used one of your personal…safety protocol phrases.”

Steve exhaled roughly, already out of his seat. “What phrase?”

“ _Elysian_ ,” Jarvis told him. “Her name is-“

“ _Bailey-_ “ Steve breathed. “L-let her in, Jarvis,” He ordered, turning his attention to Tony who was looking at him curiously. “Can you send a suit to escort her? Somethings-there’s something wrong, she-she wouldn’t-“ Steve faltered, looking to Bucky then and his husband could _see_ his panic.

“Of course,” Tony consoled. “Jarvis, send Mark XLVII to escort her immediately.”

Steve looked back to him gratefully and startled when Bucky’s warm hand came to settle on his bicep. “Sorry,” Steve said, exhaling roughly. “I don’t know why she’d be here, Buck. I’m sorry, I-“

“ _Steve-_ “ Bucky said firmly. “Relax, it’s okay. Jarvis?” Bucky asked.

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“Did she say anything else? Why she need to speak to him?”

“No, Sir. She has refused to speak to anyone but Captain Rogers at this time. She merely said she is from _Elysian_ and that she needed to speak to Captain Rogers as it was an emergency. She is in the elevator now with Mark XLVII, Sir. Arrival in 2.3 minutes.”

Steve shifted, looking towards the hallway where she’d be coming from with Tony’s armour. “Thank you, Jarvis,” Bucky murmured, the others shifting uneasily.

Peter had gone rather quiet, looking between Steve and Bucky curiously, but he didn’t dare voice what he was thinking and instead shifted to the back of the group, hoping to just blend in.

Bucky glanced up at his lover and Steve looked to him nervously. “Whatever it is, it’s fine, Steve, okay? We’ll figure it out together, yeah?”

Steve nodded a little stiltedly and Bucky soothed him with a gentle kiss to his temple, the blond relaxing only a fraction at the gentle brush of his lips.

There was the heavy clink of the armour to be heard down the hall and Bucky shifted to face the direction of the sound, Steve and the others doing so as well. It didn’t take long before both the armour and the woman in question were within their sights and Steve was instantly closing the distance between them. No one said a word as Steve stopped short in front of the shorter brunette, the younger woman staring wide-eyed and petrified at the blond as she came into the room.

Steve was floored. Bailey looked-she looked-he shook his head, unable to parse through the emotions suddenly assaulting him at seeing her right then and seeing her look so utterly _devastated._ “ _Steve-_ “ She choked and Steve leapt into action.

He found himself guiding her carefully into the living room towards the nearest sofa and she went and he wanted to hug her so damn badly, but she was…clutching a small blanket…a blanket covered in little symbols that he didn’t immediately catch on to and a slip of paper pressed to her chest.

“What’s wrong, Bailey? Are you alright?” He asked worriedly, kneeling down in front of her on the carpet, keeping a respectable distance between them, despite the overwhelming urge to wrap her up in his arms.

He let his eyes sweep over her frame but he didn’t see any signs of injury, she was dressed simply, jeans and a shirt, her light spring jacket open and settled lopsided on her left shoulder, collar turned in as if she just couldn’t be bother to fix it. Her hair was a mess, her dark loose waves dishevelled like she’d been running her hands through it compulsively and her cheeks were wet, her eyes bloodshot. She’d been crying…was _still_ crying.

She shook her head, her breath hitching as she held back a sudden sob and Steve’s heart clenched at the sight of her. “ _Bailey_ …you’re frightening me. You have to tell me what’s wrong,” He urged, reaching out to take her hands, gently freeing them from their furious clutching of the blanket now in her lap.

She let him, but then she was breaking his hold and he let her, watching as she looked down at the slightly crinkled slip of paper in her lap and then looked up at him. She was shaking, _trembling_ terribly as she extended the hand holding the paper out in front of her for Steve to take. Steve’s eyes followed the movement and he let his gaze settle on what appeared to be a photograph. Unthinkingly, he took the photo, his brows furrowing as he took in the sight of a young boy, a smiling face, blond hair, nearly white…with bright sky blue eyes…

“They took him,” She gasped through a sudden rush of tears. “They took our son.”

Four words, four _simple_ **_loaded_** _words_ …and yet they tipped Steve’s world on its head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry? <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, big ass chapter update. I hope I did it alright...it's...a lot, I know. But I couldn't bring myself to split it up. I edited it all in only a few hours so I hope it's okay? :grimaces: Enjoy? Let me know what you think. <3 Thanks for reading.

Steve…heard the words, he did. But right then, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d heard them _correctly._ The whole room was strangely quiet and for a room full of headstrong superheroes, that was not an often occurrence. He blinked, still staring down at the photo in his hands and slowly dragged his gaze away from that smiling youthful face to focus on Bailey’s…wretchedly twisted with despair. _That’s_ when the words sunk in properly.

He inhaled harshly through his suddenly clenched teeth and her brows furrowed in pain as she watched the realization dawn across the man’s features. He didn’t say anything, just… _stared_ at her with wide hurt eyes. She saw the hurt there, it was too plain to miss with how close they were sitting, for how _raw_ Steve looked right then. She shook her head, lips parting to apologize to insist that she would tell him everything, _grovel_ even if it would help, but _later_ so, _so_ later because they needed to find their son right the fuck now.

“ _Steve,_ I’m so-“

“ _Timeline_ -“ He interrupted, winded and desperate. “W-when did you last see him?”

Bailey blinked, startled by the question, not the fact that he’d _asked_ one in the first place, she just hadn’t expected that one. Her mind finally got with the program as she watched some of the hurt disappear from his expression, his lips pulling into a thin line and a much colder expression settling across his brow. She instantly recognized this face, this _gorgeous_ and _terrifying_ face as the _Captain America_ persona she’d only ever seen in _YouTube_ videos and on News networks on television.

She swallowed thickly and when he nodded, urging her to tell him, she blurted it all out. “H-his daycare. I dropped him off at 10:30 this morning and had told the girls I’d be by myself at 3:30. S-sometime Michelle-my employee-picks him up for m-me, but when I went to get him at 3:30, Deirdre, the owner, s-she told me that Sonia had received a call from me to bring him to the shop early because he had an appointment. I n-never made that phone call, _she lied_ , took my-she _took him_ -and I don’t-I can’t-“

Steve breathed out roughly and watched her expression crumble as she fought to try and get the words out. He turned to look at Tony who was suddenly in his peripheral and manipulating a couple of holoscreens Jarvis had put up from the genius’ phone.

“What’s the name of the daycare?” Tony asked, tone sharp and Steve listened as Bailey told him, then answered a series of rapid-fire questions about the employees there, names, dates, anything she could remember about this Sonia in particular.

Steve nearly startled when Bucky stepped up beside him and the brunet gave him a quiet look as his metal fingers brushed lightly against Steve’s before the brunet was taking a seat next to Bailey on the sofa. She was shaking so hard, Steve thought she was about to vibrate right out of her skin. And that had been _before_ Bucky had gently laid his flesh and blood hand atop both of her hands as she clutched the blanket in her lap. The blanket covered in the symbols that made up the Avengers.

Thor’s hammer, Hawkeye’s bow, Widow’s hourglass, Bucky’s star, Hulk’s face, Iron Man’s helmet, Falcon’s wings, Spider Man’s mask…Cap’s shield. He swallowed heavily as he let his gaze flit back down to the photo still in his grasp, when he’d taken it from her, he wasn’t entirely sure, but he didn’t want to give it back.

He glanced back up to find Bailey looking at Bucky with such a pained expression it made his heart physically _ache_ and then Bucky was shifting closer to her, squeezing her hands in gentle reassurance. “We’re going to find him,” Bucky murmured, tone sure and Steve believed him.

Steve believed him with all his heart.

Bailey visibly deflated, like her strings had been cut and she sagged with relief as if she knew, just _knew_ that what Bucky said was true. She was nodding in the next moment, however, sitting up a little straighter as she fought with the storm of emotions within her. She blinked the tears from her eyes quickly and nodded more surely.

“Right, _right._ I-I tried to call Nick, but there wasn’t-he wasn’t answering his phone,” She admitted and everyone just looked at her blankly for a beat.

“Nick?” Tony asked, unsure.

Bailey nodded quickly, fishing out her phone from her coat pocket. “Nick Fury, Maria too. I couldn’t get through, the line just keeps ringing-“

“Wait a minute-“ Clint blurted. “You know Nick? Like, _Nick Nick?_ ”

Bailey blinked in confusion. “Y-yes, I-“ She looked back to Steve at a loss and then back to Clint.

Clint’s eyebrows were so far into his hairline, but to be fair, so was everyone else's. “Jarvis, get Fury on the phone, _now_ ,” Tony ordered and Bailey blinked, listening as the smooth voice of the A.I. came from _somewhere._

“There appears to be a problem with the line, Sir. I will try Miss Hill as well.”

Tony blinked. They could _always_ get in touch with Fury. Whatever was going on, it was bad. “Okay, that’s bad,” Tony felt the need to state for the record, glancing towards Steve who was now looking at him and he was definitely thinking the same thing.

Natasha settled at his side and was already typing furiously on her phone, Clint looking over her shoulder all the while. “Are you hacking his office?”

“There was a leak,” Natasha muttered, shoving her phone out for Tony to look at.

Tony cursed under his breath and instantly started shouting at Jarvis to get into the files, trace the data transfer, bring everything back. Tony was a flurry of movement as he cast up several more holoscreens from two StarkPads that had been lying around, wishing he was back in his lab with more screens. He was about to demand they move there when Jarvis cut in.

“Fury is on the line, Sir.”

“ _Fury!_ ” Tony suddenly barked.

“ _Calm down, Stark. We’ve got the leak under control, data is already contained-_ “ Fury started.

“That’s because _Nat_ hacked your system and _I_ corralled the data,” Tony hissed and there was a slight pause before Fury rolled with it.

“ _Great, then half my job’s done-_ “

“ _Fury_ -“ Steve suddenly cut in and his voice was ice cold. “Bailey’s here.”

_That_ gave him pause and there was a shaky exhale on the line. “ _Bailey?_ ” Fury asked, voice shifting from his usually no-bullshit tone to something much softer and full of _worry._

Bailey made a soft noise then and glanced to Steve. “Someone took him, Nick. Someone took James.”

Steve’s heart skipped behind his ribs and he found himself curling over as if he’d been punched in the gut. At the same time, Bucky’s gaze shifted back to Bailey, looking between his husband and this woman and hearing _his name…_ given to this little boy, hearing Fury start cursing short and sharp, voice filled with rage as he started slamming things wherever he was, perhaps his office or his home. Bucky closed his eyes, feeling his own heart ache at the scene playing out before him.

But, he still stood by what he said. “We’re going to find him,” Bucky said, stronger this time and Tony nodded, brows pinched up in concern as he continued to sift through the documents he’d had Jarvis pull.

“ _Damn right we will_ ,” Nick breathed, but he was obviously shaken.

“Got a lead-“ Tony announced and everyone collectively shifted towards him. “Sonia Piatteli is actually Nancy Denova, newly hired at _Spingtown Daycare._ She’s got a rap sheet. Not one the daycare would have been able to find,” Tony said gravely.

Steve stood up, unable to resist going to look at what Tony had found. What he saw was a bland looking woman in full military regalia…but not just any military outfit; a Hydra uniform. Steve inhaled sharply and Tony cast him a worried look. “She’s a known Hydra operative, disappeared during the whole SHIELD debacle, took up a new name, changed her appearance a bit, but her facial markers are the same, fingerprints too. Hacked the daycare to confirm.”

Steve nodded and he could feel it, the way he transitioned into Captain America right then. That mask settling, broadening his shoulders, straightening his spine and smoothing over his face. “Find out where she is, where she went. Look up traffic cameras outside the daycare, I want a lead, yesterday.”

Tony was already on it, Bucky could see from where he was still seated next to Bailey, the younger woman still shaking, but much less noticeably at the moment. She was staring at Steve, Steve who wasn’t Steve in that moment, he was _all_ Captain America and sometimes it was a beautiful thing to see, truly. But right now? Right now it was positively _terrifying_ , because he looked _pissed_ and that didn’t even _begin_ to cover what he _actually_ looked or felt like right then.

Fury was offering assistance over the line, telling them that Hill was on standby should they need her, regardless they’d offer their _cleanup services_ and Bailey really didn’t want to think too hard about what that all entailed. The conversation was brought to an abrupt end when Tony decided he was tired of listening to Fury explain how his personal computer had been accessed, because Tony was so, _so_ done with this man.

“If you had let me install my _own software_ , we would not be in this mess in the first place _Nick,_ so why don’t you fuck off and call us back when you’re ready to apologize,” Tony suggested before flicking his wrist, Jarvis disconnecting the call.

The room went eerily quiet then and Bailey swallowed thickly as she looked towards Tony. “H-he wasn’t supposed to have any r-record of me…or James, he-he said- _he’d promised_ that he would destroy everything he had.”

Steve’s gaze snapped back to her. “What did he have, exactly?”

Bailey grimaced a little. “Couple of old phone conversations from us, texts…” She glanced nervously towards Bucky and then lowered her eyes to where Bucky’s hand was still resting lightly atop hers in an attempt to calm her shaking. “Nick said he had your phone bugged in the beginning. Keep tabs on you, but after he…after he found me, he promised to erase all traces of our conversations and help keep-help keep myself and my so- _our-_ son, safe.”

She huffed a soft laugh, shaking her head as she thought about that. “James calls him _uncle Nick_ , for Chrissakes. He’s always done what he could for us, helped us, kept it a secret and it-I thought he-“

“He would keep you safe,” Natasha agreed, frowning. “He believes that what he does is for the safety of others. If he kept those files, it was because he thought they would be safe. Admittedly, he’s not always the best at making those sorts of calls.”

Tony snorted inelegantly. “No shit. Look at this mess! There are James’ daycare applications, his birth certificate, medical files too, a list of the kids’ allergies and medications-“

“ _Tony-_ “ Bucky interrupted, making Tony blink and glance towards the couch where the man was seated next to Bailey…who was looking at Tony with huge round _wounded_ dark eyes.

Tony grimaced, casting a quick glance to where Steve was staring at the open holoscreen displaying James’ birth certificate, his medical records, pretty well everything just out there on display. Steve’s mask had slipped as he let himself look and _everyone_ noticed.

“James Joesph Rogers-Varvaro,” Steve murmured, gaze flickering over the information greedily; there were photos too, only a couple, but-

“I’m sorry, Steve. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell yo-“

“ _Stop-_ “ Steve said, tone not harsh exactly, but definitely brooking no room for an argument.

He turned his attention back to Bailey and gave her a pained smile. “ _This?_ All of this? _None of it_ is your fault, alright? This happened because I didn’t-I wasn’t-“ He shook his head, looking down at the photo he was still holding. “Because I wasn’t there.”

“ _Steve_ -“ She whispered, getting up from her seat.

Steve looked back to her when she came out from around the coffee table towards him, that adorable blue blanket clutched weakly in her grasp. “None of this is your fault, if it’s not mine, then it’s not your fault either, okay?”

Steve nodded sharply and she reached out to him, tentatively laying a hand upon his forearm, thumb sweeping along the bared inside of his wrist. Steve inhaled shakily and nodded, short and sharp. “Okay, okay, fine.”

Bailey nodded, withdrawing her hand and Steve instantly missed the feel of her smooth palm, her delicate fingers as they’d wrapped around him, her warmth. He blinked past the sudden heat gathering behind his eyes, hoping she hadn’t noticed, hoping _no one_ had noticed.

“Good,” She said firmly, shifting back a half step, as if she realized just how close they’d been standing.

There was a moment of awkward silence before she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, her dark eyes flickering towards where Peter had been attempting to keep a low profile behind Sam and Bruce.

“Peter?” She asked, not having expected to see him there.

“Uh, yeah, hi Miss Varvaro,” Peter said awkwardly, waving a little as Sam stepped aside a bit more so that he wasn’t obscuring her vision.

Bailey blinked in confusion. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Oh, well I uh, I intern with Mr. Stark,” Peter offered by way of an explanation.

“Oh, _right_ , I knew that,” Bailey admitted, sounding a little dazed, gaze flickering over Peter’s youthful face.

Peter nodded gently and shifted where he stood. He’d known Bailey for years now and knew her well enough to know that she was a lovely lady. MJ had worked for her for the last three years and _hell_ , aunt May had known Bailey for the last five and a half. Peter had been introduced to her through his aunt but he didn’t really get to know her much more until MJ started working at the bookshop and he in turn-and Ned, because really, when did they ever not come as a package deal-started spending more time at the bookshop. He knew James, knew that little boy with one too many health concerns, asthma, allergies, even trouble putting on weight thanks to a deficiency of some kind and this was _so not cool_.

“Listen,” He started, walking across to her, licking his lips nervously when he felt the group’s collective gazes turn on him, probably wondering how the hell they knew each other, for starters. “We’re going to find him, okay? _They’re_ going to find him because this is what they do, so just-“ He blew out a breath. “We can see you freaking out and you like, need to not freak out.”

Bailey laughed despite herself, clapping a hand over her mouth and Peter smiled, a little relieved. Humour, sometimes it was a saving grace. Peter stepped in and gave her a hug and she instantly hugged him back, clutching him with a strength he hadn’t known she possessed.

“Thanks, Petie,” She murmured, giving him one final squeeze before pulling back.

“No problem.”

Bailey blew out a rough breath and wiped at her eyes a little and Peter drew back, glancing to where Tony and Steve were standing together and staring at him in obvious surprise. “How uh, how do you two know each other?” Tony asked.

“Oh, aunt May helped deliver James. It was a total emergency and Miss Varvaro was haemorrhaging and May was on call and helped with the delivery and yeah, was apparently super crazy and she almost _died_ and I’ve known her for years but like-“

“ _Peter-_ “ Bailey breathed, tone nervous but authoritative and Peter stilled, jaw snapping shut as he looked to her sheepishly…and saw the look of _horror_ on her face.

He blinked, unsure what _particularly_ he’d said that had been so wrong, but then he noticed Steve _and_ Bucky now standing much closer to Bailey and looking like they wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap and never let her see the light of day again.

“We’ve talked about the oversharing,” Bailey said, tone gentle and Peter cringed and smiled sheepishly, whispering a soft apology.

“You almost-“ Steve started, brows pinched and expression filled with guilt and Bailey steamrolled right on over him.

“ _Don’t_ , not right now,” She warned him, raising a hand in an attempt to still his words. “We’ll discuss it later, I’ll t-tell you… _everything_ , but later.”

Steve nodded, blowing out a tense breath and ran shaking fingers through his hair, mussing it up. “Okay, fine,” He agreed and then turned his attention back to Tony and the others. “War Room?”

Tony nodded eagerly. “ _Perfect_ , I need more screens,” And was already heading to the aforementioned room.

Bucky came up behind Bailey and touched her elbow lightly, startling her a little. He murmured a soft apology and nodded in the direction of the hallway where Tony was already running off down. “So, you’ve met Tony Stark, how about I introduce you to the rest of the Team…since Steve’s having a little trouble processing right now.”

Bailey glanced over to where Steve was just staring at her and she nodded when he gave her a strained smile. “O-okay,” She agreed, shooting Steve a sympathetic look before turning her attention back to Bucky. “That’s um…that sounds good…how come you’re not having trouble processing?” She asked, voice lowered so that not _everyone_ would hear her.

Bucky huffed out a soft breath, stepping in closer and making her look him up and down real quick, assessing. She seemed a little wary of him, but somehow Bucky didn’t think it was because he was the notorious Winter Solider. It was more than likely because he was the _husband_ of her baby-daddy. Which, okay _fair_.

“I compartmentalize well. I’m… _processing_ , but I’m not panicking like this one,” Bucky explained, gesturing to where Steve was looking down at the photo again.

Bailey let out a watery laugh and looked down at the blanket in her grasp. “Fair enough.”

They walked the few steps where they joined up with the others and Bucky went around with quick introductions, Bailey unable to fully smile but doing her best to nod and murmur soft greetings of her own. There was a tense silence that followed and she knew that they were probably just _dying_ to know who she was exactly. People liked to gossip, surely superheroes weren’t so different.

She thought they wouldn’t bother asking questions right then and was grateful for it...for all of three minutes. She’d barely taken a seat around the large boardroom’s table, everyone else either sitting down or standing while Tony manipulated the holoscreens around the room, when said genius made a soft sound and glanced over his shoulder at Bailey.

“So, is no one going to ask the questions we’re all practically _dying_ to know?”

Clint snickered and Bailey really would have found it perhaps a little amusing on any other day, but today was not that day. “Can we focus?” Steve cut in, tone harsh and when he refused to look at Bailey, the brunette practically shrunk back in her chair.

Tony cleared his throat a bit and nodded. “Right, right, you’re right,” He agreed, casting out screens to the others so they could manipulate them to their hearts content. “I need everyone’s eyes. Jarvis, I want different views of the security cameras for the street _Springtime’_ s on and I want all traffic cameras searching for that-“ He gestured to the photo in Steve’s hands. “Face.”

Steve placed it on the glass table top and Jarvis helpfully scanned the image from one of the thousand or so cameras littering the room. Jarvis instantly uploaded all known photographs Fury had on file as well as the one Bailey had provided and began his search.

Bailey watched in awe as camera footage displayed all around the room while the Team sifted through, talking to Jarvis and manipulating the holoscreens as best they could. Ultimately, it was Tony who found the right camera and the right time mere seconds later and Bailey made a soft wounded sound in the back of her throat when he cast the image up for everyone to see.

“That’s James,” Bailey said shakily and Tony nodded, zooming in on the video still frame of the alleyway behind _Springtime_ where the back door had just opened and out walked Nancy with little James in her arms.

Bailey was standing before she gave her body the order and she was coming around the table to get closer to the image. “P-play it,” She demanded and Tony did.

The footage was grainy at best, but Bailey knew her son and Jarvis had said the facial recognition was a match right off the bat. They watched as Nancy carried the boy, his bright blue and red backpack dangling limply from the woman’s arm out into the alley...to a waiting black SUV. Bailey had stopped breathing as she’d seen them scramble inside and shut the doors and within seconds the car was out of the frame.

“Where did they go!? Where did they take him!?” She shouted, looking to Tony as he fiddled with the screen, Jarvis opening up several other screens to display their progress down the traffic ridden street.

“Calm down, Bailey,” Steve murmured, but he was shaking, voice far too carefully controlled as he put himself next to her, eyes fixed on Tony and his capable movements.

“Jarvis, scan through the footage, track the car, find out everything you can about it and send the info to Nat. Nat-“ Tony barely spared her a glance. “R8’s unlocked.”

“On it,” Natasha murmured, already slipping out of the room.

Bailey watched her go and turned her attention back to Tony, desperate for more information as her gaze flickered back a moment later to the video footage. “This is going to take a while,” Tony sighed, but he didn’t stop what he was doing, the others sitting down and making themselves more comfortable as Tony adjusted the footage for them to follow through.

“We’ll get there,” Steve assured, glancing towards Bailey as she sat back down heavily in her chair.

Bailey looked up at him as he came a little closer and then he was dropping down into a crouch beside her. Steve clenched his hands, both in an attempt not to reach out and touch her and to hide the fact that he was shaking with barely controlled rage at the fact that someone, _someone had taken their son_...and he wasn’t going to go easy on the people responsible.

“ _Steve,_ ” She said, voice plaintive.

“We’re going to find him, Bailey. But we need to keep calm, keep a level head and get through this, _together._ Okay?”

Bailey exhaled shakily and nodded, but then she was just as quickly shaking her head. “H-how can you be so _calm_?”

Steve exhaled roughly through his nose, a short snort of a thing. “Because when I find him, I am literally going to rip the heads off of everyone responsible for this…though not in front of him, of course.”

Bailey swallowed thickly, momentarily stunned. “Of course.”

Steve nodded sharply and turned his attention back to where Tony was still sifting through traffic cameras with the help of Jarvis. Sam stepped up to Steve a moment later and cast a nervous glance to where Bailey was braced, elbows on the table and head in her hands. Her son’s blanket half in her lap and half on the table in front of her.

Sam curled a careful hand around Steve’s shoulder and felt the blond stiffen for an instant at his touch. Steve met his gaze a second later over his shoulder and Sam inclined his head towards Bailey. “Why don’t you offer to get her a glass of water or make her a cup of tea, Steve? Tony and Jarvis are doing what they can but you and I both know this is going to be a waiting game. Bruce, Clint, Thor and I can’t manipulate the screens like he can and…Peter’s barely resisting the urge to climb the walls right now, so I think we need to keep our minds busy with other small tasks or we’re going to go a little snaky.”

Steve let out a shuddering breath and nodded. Sam was right. They’d gone through missions like this one numerous times…but at the same time, they were _nothing_ like this. Still, Steve understood the importance of keeping themselves busy right now, because Sam was right. This could take a while, maybe a few hours, maybe even an entire night and Steve would surely be climbing the walls himself in a matter of minutes if he wasn’t careful.

“Okay,” Steve agreed, voice soft. “I-I can-you’re right, Sam. _Christ_ , you know I’m usually better than-“

“ _Steve-_ “ Sam blurted, tone ripe with disbelief. “You are _allowed_ to feel the way you do, _hell_ , it’s warranted. But we need to keep clear heads and you know we got this, buddy. You know we can get these fuckers and we _will_.”

Steve nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know, Sam, I do, it’s just-“

“It’s your kid,” Sam murmured.

Steve made a pained nose and dropped his hand from his face, Sam’s hand squeezing his shoulder in reassurance. “Yeah,” He muttered shakily.

Sam nodded. “ _Christ_ , I-I know, Steve, I do. But it’s going to be okay, so let’s…let’s distract everyone and get some tea going and some food, because I highly doubt she’s eaten since lunch and it’s-“ He glanced at the clock. “Almost nine-thirty.”

Steve blew out a slow breath and nodded. “Okay, I-I can do that.”

Sam clapped him on the shoulder lightly and nodded. “Perfect.”

Steve nodded again, more sure of himself and turned to look around at his Team, his friends, his family. And there was Bailey, her face cradled in her hands as she shut her eyes against everything and he could _see_ the pain there. See it in the tense lines of her face, the rigidness of her body, the crinkle at the edge of her eyes. She was still visibly shaking where she sat and Steve’s heart gave a painful lurch beneath his ribs when he saw her shift, her face becoming a little more visible and he could _see_ how red-rimmed her eyes were, how blood-shot the whites of her eyes had become

She hadn’t cried, hadn’t sobbed or broken down in his presence yet. She was holding herself together remarkably well. But Steve wasn’t stupid, he could see it, see her so close and so ready to break down and he-

“Bailey?” He murmured, already crouching beside her.

She looked up at him, her hands dropping down to the table and she swallowed thickly. “Yeah?”

Steve had to take a moment to gather himself, struck by the brightness of her eyes, despite the tiredness, the pain and glassiness he saw there from her unshed tears. “I’m going to put on a pot of coffee, some tea and…what I’m trying to say is, would you like a cup of tea or a glass of water, a bite to eat?”

Bailey blinked at him and then nodded slowly before reaching out to gently take Steve’s hand in hers. “W-water for me, Steve, please.”

Steve nodded, turning his own teary eyes away from her, suddenly unable to look her in the eyes. “Okay,” He whispered, clearing his throat slightly before standing back up, but not without a gentle squeeze of her hand first. “I’ll be back soon.”

She nodded and listened as he walked towards Peter and asked the younger man if he’d come to the kitchen to help him. Peter was all too eager for something to do and for a moment, Bailey was jealous she hadn’t been asked to go with him. _Actually_ , scratch that. She did not want to be alone with him right now. She’d probably do something stupid or _worse_ , they’d have to talk.

She wasn’t ready for that just yet.

Bailey let out a shaky sigh as Steve and Peter left the room and let her gaze wander over to where Tony was still busy manipulating the screens, following the cameras through the late afternoon traffic. She couldn’t tell where the footage he was parsing through was exactly, but she knew he was doing the best that he could and he-this was what they did.

They would find him. They _would._

She exhaled shakily and sat up a little straighter when she felt eyes on her a moment later, she glanced to where Sam was looking at her quietly…and the rest of the Team was doing their very best _not_ to look at her.

Well, then.

“Look, you can ask all the questions you want-“ She started, only to be interrupted by Sam making a noise of complaint and quickly shaking his head.

“That’s not our place-“

“Only after I’ve spoken to Steve and he decides to talk to you himself," She finished, speaking over the man.

Sam cleared his throat slightly and nodded, glancing to where Clint, Bruce and Thor were still trying not to look directly at her, obviously feeling a little sheepish, though, Bruce was primarily keeping to himself. Clint on the other hand…

“Okay, but like-“ The archer started to ask and Bucky shot him a warning glare from over Bailey’s shoulder and he fell blessedly silent.

Bailey seemed to realize Clint wasn’t looking at her when he practically withered back in his seat and she cast a quiet glance behind her as Bucky approached the table to take a seat beside her. She immediately lowered her gaze and looked away from him and Bucky would recognize the look in her eyes as if it was his own.

“You don’t owe _any_ of us an explanation, Bailey. Not them and not me,” Bucky explained, sitting down beside her and drawing one of the screens on the glass table top closer to them. “And if anyone else pesters you with questions-“ He cast a sharp look to where Tony was watching them plainly through the screen in front of him. “You let Steve or I know and it’ll be handled. Got it?”

Bailey regarded him quietly for a moment and then dropped her gaze to the table where Bucky had drawn up camera footage for them to parse through. She wanted to say _okay_ and be done with it, but the heavy guilt she felt in her chest prevented her from doing so. “I owe you an explanation, Sergeant Barnes.”

Bucky exhaled slowly through his nose and shook his head. “Haven’t been a Sergeant in a long time, doll. You can call me Bucky,” He told her, turning his attention back to the video in front of him before hitting play. “And you still don’t owe me an explanation….Steve already told me about you.”

And Bailey didn’t quite know what to say to that.

She was left in stunned quiet as the others started up chattering about potential leads, still unable to track the SUV farther than the city at this point, but they were also sifting through Fury’s files and any SHIELD documents they could get their hands on in regards to Nancy Denova and any of her missing associates. She sort of faded in and out of the conversations going on around her and instead found herself staring quietly down at the glass tabletop before her. She did’t even startle when Steve set down a glass of water in her peripheral or when Peter came in with two platters of assorted foods for everyone.

She could smell coffee, could smell tea and the food that was set on the table, but she didn’t touch any of it. She knew the other were nibbling a little here and there but when she glanced up after a while, she noted that Steve was in much the same boat.

She blew out a slow breath and lowered her eyes again, only to see movement out of the corner of her vision. She looked up again and saw Steve gently nudging a plate of cookies towards her before the plate gently nudged her glass of water. She blinked and glanced up into his face to find him smiling a little sadly at her. He motioned to the plate and she let her gaze drop to the treats before carefully selecting one of the cookies and drawing her glass of water closer.

“Thank you,” She whispered and Steve simply nodded and took a cookie of his own.

If they both barely sipped at their drinks or nibbled at their cookies, _well_ , everyone noticed, but didn’t bother to reprimand either of them. The next couple of hours passed by slowly and Bailey was exhausted and worried, _terrified_ really. Regardless, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep, no matter how many times they offered her use of one of their guest rooms, she flat out refused.

When around midnight she reached for the carafe of newly brewed coffee, they realized there was no point in asking her again. Of course, she’d barely had two sips of the stuff before Nat was calling in. “ _I found the SUV,_ ” She told them over the line.

“Perfect, Jarvis is displaying coordinates-“ Tony started.

“You’re at the airstrip?” Steve interrupted, getting up and shoving his seat away from him hastily, the noise of it scratching across the floor near deafening in the tensely quiet room.

“ _Yeah-_ “ Nat replied. “ _They’ve left, probably nearly an hour after they grabbed him._ ”

Bailey made a panicked noise and clenched her hands into fists as she listened and Bucky placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Got it-“ Tony muttered, already firing off orders to Jarvis, inquiring about airspace reports and air traffic control.

It was barely a minute before Tony was spitting out a curse and Steve was demanding information. “ _Romania-_ “ Tony snapped. “They’ve gone to Romania.”

Natasha’s breathing hitched on the line and Bucky tensed up slightly beside her. She was too busy to notice, however, because Bailey was standing up, shaking like a leaf as she came around the table to stand beside Steve who was hovering beside Tony as the genius pulled up a map of scheduled flight paths into Romania from whatever airstrip Natasha was currently at.

The next words out of Natasha’s mouth were definitely not English and when Tony hastily responded in the same language, Steve interjecting as well, Bailey was at a loss, staring between them and wanting to know what the hell they were talking about. It wasn’t until Bucky said something, so low and so quiet, in the very same-she was certain it was Russian-language, the others falling eerily silent…did she finally speak.

“ _English,_ ** _please_** ,” She begged looking between Bucky at her side, Steve and Tony; the others just as quiet as they shot her pained looks of their own.

Steve turned to her and visibly swallowed, his gaze slipping to Bucky beside her before focusing back on her. “There’s a bunker there,” Came Steve’s voice and it was thick, strained. “We’ve been keeping an eye on it and we thought it had been abandoned, inactive.”

“But it’s not?” Bailey pressed. “Is that where they’ve taken him?”

Steve didn’t even have a chance to reply, his face said enough, but before she could tell them to hurry up and get a move on, Bucky was speaking out. “ _Steve_ , we need to go, _now._ Call it,” Bucky pressed, already standing and heading for the door.

Steve made a soft noise in the back of his throat and nodded, a steadiness settling over his brow. “Quinjet in ten, suit up guys. Nat, we’ll pick you up en route. Bruce, you want to sit this one out or stay on standby?” Steve shot out his orders, everyone already heading towards the door as Bruce said he’d come along in case he was needed, but as Steve nodded decisively and turned to where Bailey was looking at him with desperate eyes, he faltered.

She couldn’t mean to-

“I’m coming with you,” She breathed and _everyone_ in the room stilled, tensed really, because this was going to be an argument and a half and they just knew it.

“Bailey,” Steve started, tone gentle but firm and she instantly bristled, back straightening, jaw muscles tensing as she stepped right up into his space.

It didn’t matter if he practically _towered_ over her, she stepped right up in front of him and jabbed a finger roughly to his chest. If he flinched, just a _little_...well, she didn’t exactly feel bad about it. “Don’t you _dare_ , Steve. Don’t you fucking _dare_ tell me that I’m not coming with you. That you’re going to leave me here while you go halfway across the world to get our-our son,” She breathed and she was angry, there was no doubt about it, but Steve saw the fury for what it was; _fear._

He gently cupped his hands over her shoulders, bracing himself, gearing up for telling her that that was _exactly_ what he planned to do, but she never gave him the chance. She practically snarled at him, shoving his hands off her shoulders and _Christ_ she looked about ready to punch him. He’d probably let her.

“I’m coming with you!” She snapped and her voice shook with the force of her anger, her fear and Steve was at a complete loss.

“Bailey, I can’t have you there. It’s dangerous, you could get hurt. I couldn’t-“

“ _Steven Grant Rogers-_ “ She hissed and Steve took in a shuddering breath at the ferocity in her gaze. “I am not waiting here for you to come back, I am not waiting here _alone._ I can handle a gun, I’ve had basic combat training, _Maria_ taught me and I can maybe hel-“

Steve huffed and immediately regretted it when in the next moment, she was _glaring_ at him and before he had taken so much as a breath and maybe took the time to think of an apology, she was grabbing his wrist and twisting roughly and before Steve knew _what the fuck was happening_ , she had him spun around and bent over the table top, cheek pressed harshly against the cold glass and a rough hand in his hair, sharp nails digging into his scalp.

The breath whooshed out of him in surprise. He’d been completely taken off guard and his head was _still_ reeling from the sudden whiplash of movement and knowledge that-“ _What the fuck?_ ” He finally managed to breathe, his voice rough, _hoarse_.

He knew he could get out of her hold easily- _he could_ -but right then he just...didn’t know what to do with himself. He blinked, looking towards the right where Bucky was standing there with a carefully blank expression on his handsome face...but as always, it was his eyes that gave him away. He was definitely laughing at him...on the inside, anyway.

Before he could open his mouth to speak _again_ , however, Bailey was leaning down over his back and tugging at his hair, forcing his head up a tad. “I am going with you, Steven, whether you like it or not,” She muttered and Steve nodded, rather helplessly at that.

He may have been a little turned on just then and how _wildly_ inappropriate was that?

She let him go and took a step back from him and Steve, still rather stunned, was slow to get up, ignoring the heat in his groin and hoping no one noticed he’d gone from zero to sixty in the span of three-seconds. Bucky would notice, surely, but that was a future-Steve problem. He turned to look at her and Bailey looked properly ruffled by what she’d just done, because the _rest of the Team_ was standing there practically _gawping at her._

“That was so hot,” Tony blurted. “Is anyone else a little turned on right now?” He asked, glancing around frantically at the group and Peter elbowed him harshly in the side.

Tony winced and cupped a hand over where the kid had nudged him and then shrugged, glaring petulantly at Peter, Peter, who was shaking his head in annoyance. “What? You telling me that _wasn’t_ hot? She just got the drop on Steve and that _never fucking happens_ ,” Tony admitted, shaking his head in awe.

“ _Tony_ -“ Steve warned and the genius huffed, glancing to Thor who looked downright _impressed_ and then to where Bruce was already attempting to duck out the door and then to Clint who was smirking and giving Bailey an appraising sort of look and yep, Tony had at least one person on his side.

Sam was hiding his smirk behind his hand, Tony just knew, his eyes were crinkling and Bucky-was staring right at him with a raised eyebrow and yep okay, Tony was dropping this right the hell now.

“Yeah okay, fine," Tony muttered. “So _no one’s_ going to address the hot mom and her ability to _bend Steve over in the blink of an eye,_ that’s fine, totally fi-“

“Tony!” Steve snapped and the genius clicked his jaw shut.

When no one else moved for a moment, Steve calmly turned his attention back to Bailey who was looking a little flustered, but hid it well as she continued to fix Steve with a pointed look. “We’re wasting time, Captain,” She breathed.

Steve swallowed thickly and nodded, stepping into her space and intentionally forcing her to take a step back. She did and was met with a wall at her back. “You will do _exactly_ as I say. You will _follow my orders without complaint..._ ” He told her, watching as her eyes widened minutely as she stared up at him. “Understood?”

She nodded and when Steve raised an eyebrow at her, her cheeks heated and she stood up a little straighter. “Yes, Sir,” She agreed and something hot twisted inside his belly.

He ignored it and took a deeper breath through his nose before forcing himself to take a step back from her. She remained where she was, watching as he turned to look at the others. “You now have 4 minutes-“

They jumped into motion at that, everyone fleeing the room and heading for the locker rooms to suit up on their way to the roof and when Steve turned to stalk out of the room and then flat out run, Bucky glanced at her pointedly and motioned for her to follow.

She jerked into motion and started off at a run after the blond, Bucky coming up behind her, easily keeping pace. Steve was a good ten feet in front of her, the others ahead of him and when Steve ducked towards the stairwell instead of the elevator where the others had piled into, Bucky urged her to take the elevator with them.

She hadn’t expected the brunet to join her in the elevator with the others, but, _here they were._ The elevator wasn’t small by any means and as soon as she and Bucky were inside, the doors closed and they were being whisked up to the locker rooms.

They didn’t have far to go and she was grateful when no one spoke, thanks to a stern glare from Bucky, but when they finally made it to the lockers and everyone started grabbing their gear, she turned to find Peter standing there staring at her a little nervously.

“So, I know now’s not really a good time to tell you this,” Peter sighed, clutching a small backpack in his hands and Bailey’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Peter, you’re not coming with us,” She huffed, shaking her head at his apparent nervousness. “Steve’s right, it is too dangerous and May would _literally_ kill you if you-“

Peter laughed, interrupting her and she blinked, watching as he started opening up his backpack and her gaze caught on red and blue fabric. “It’s funny of you to mention the fact that it’s dangerous and _granted_ , it _is_ dangerous, but I-I think I have it handled,” Peter explained, dropping his backpack on one of the benches and shaking out his-his _Spider Man suit._

Bailey blinked, her jaw dropping open in surprise as she watched him lay it down and then started stripping without pre-amble. Her eyes widened and she quickly turned away, only to find herself looking at _Bucky_ as he was mid-strip. Her gaze snapped up to the ceiling before she could see too much and she huffed out a tense breath. Bucky had been in nothing but black tactical pants and combat boots and _wow_.

“Put this on,” Steve said gruffly and she startled a little and was forced to look the blond in the face when he shoved the black tac-gear at her.

She shifted uncomfortably and accepted the items he’d practically shoved at her and he rolled his eyes, motioning towards a changing cubicle. “You have two-minutes,” He told her and then stalked away from her.

She couldn’t help but notice he was already dressed and oh... _wow_ , that stealth suit was _so much better_ in person. She swallowed thickly and immediately ducked into the changing cubicle to strip. It didn’t take long and she was quickly dressed and chasing after _Peter_ , _Peter_ ** _goddamn_** _Parker_ in his _Spider suit_ and _Christ_ , did _May_ know about this?

“Does May know about this?” She blurted, Peter casting her a look over his shoulder before he rolled his eyes as they jogged out of the change room and down the hallway to where she could see big bay doors opening out onto a landing pad and sure enough, the Quinjet.

“Yeah,” Peter breathed. “For a while now, actually.”

“And she’s not pissed?” Bailey asked incredulously.

Peter huffed, clearly amused as they came out into the night, the wind harsh against them as they headed for the ramp where Steve and the others were already waiting. “Of course she is, well, at first. She gets it now, doesn’t exactly _like_ it, but it’s fine. It works,” Peter told her as they approached the others.

Bailey shook her head in disbelief and Peter gave her a soft smile as they got into the jet and headed towards his usual seat. The others were busying themselves with their gear, not really settling yet, while Clint, Tony and Steve headed for the cockpit to get them airborne. It didn’t take long and within a minute, she was being told to sit by Peter and then they were in the air.

Bailey hadn’t, well, she hadn’t exactly _flown_ before. But it was fine, she’d be fine. She felt the nausea as they lifted straight up into the air and braced herself as the jet started to take off and not five-minutes later they were cruising smoothly. She could hear Tony conversing with Natasha over the line while Clint piloted and they discussed a rendezvous point about twenty-minutes out.

Bailey remained seated for the first while, the others chatting quietly as they reviewed some of the files Tony had uploaded to a couple of tablets. Bruce and Thor were seated close and chatting about the building plans while Sam listened, leaning casually against one of the seats as he watched the pair. Peter was dozing, head back against the seat he was in and Bailey was...Bailey was staring across at Bucky who was watching Steve and Tony quietly as they bent over a StarkPad, heads close together with pinched expressions on their faces.

She couldn’t see what exactly they were looking at, but surely it couldn’t be good. She tried not to stare at the others, everyone decked out in their uniforms looking intimidating and commanding, Steve especially, but it was a difficult task to say the least. They picked up Natasha without incident, the Widow-undoubtedly, as she was already clad in that terrifyingly sleek black suit and covered in weapons-at the rooftop rendezvous point and they were on their way again.

“Alright, we’ve got some time to kill,” Steve’s voice rang out and Bailey’s gaze snapped towards him as he headed towards where she and the others sat.

“Six hours or so?” Peter asked, shifting forwards in his seat and reaching for a tablet as Tony offered him one.

Steve hummed in agreement and when his eyes swept over to Bailey, she unintentionally stiffened beneath his stare. He was assessing, calmly, in a detached sort of way and then he was back to sweeping his gaze over the others, taking them in just as he’d taken her in. She wasn’t sure what that calculating gaze was looking for, but apparently he wasn’t pleased by whatever he saw with her as when he finally checked over everyone else, he singled her out.

“Your vest needs adjusting,” He said simply, _curtly_ and Bailey shifted, glancing down at herself and tugging lightly at the hem of the tac-vest she’d been given.

It was a little small, but it did fit, covered all her important bits, but she couldn’t see what he meant and when she looked back to him, he was already turning away and heading back to the cockpit where Natasha and Clint were settled. She frowned and turned her gaze away, only to find Bucky looking at her quietly.

“What?” She asked, maybe a little harsher than she intended.

Bucky rolled his eyes lightly and motioned her over to him. She hesitated for a moment and then stood to cross the small space between them. He stood up then too and she breathed out steadily as he stepped into her space and directed her to turn around. She did without question and then he was undoing the vest on her right side and repositioning it slightly, tugging it more firmly closed and yeah okay, that felt more secure now.

She breathed out slowly when he told her he was done and turned around to face him. She was going to go back to her seat but Bucky inclined his head towards the couple of empty seats to his left. She sat down.

They were quiet for a few minutes and then Bucky sighed deeply, drawing her nervously curious gaze. “He’s not usually such a dick,” Bucky explained, but when Bailey merely raised a delicate brow in response, he chuckled softly under his breath and amended. “Okay, so he is, but not-it’s different,” He admitted.

Bailey’s gaze softened and she nodded, glancing down at where she’d clasped her hands in her lap, still holding on to that little blanket. “I know.”

Bucky hummed, glancing over his shoulder to where Steve was hovering near the cockpit but not really talking to anyone, just...taking some space and trying not to crawl out of his skin, most likely. “He means well, I know,” Bailey’s soft voice drew him back in and he turned to look at her more closely.

“He does,” Bucky agreed. “He’s just scared.”

Bailey breathed out shakily at that and Bucky blinked as he regarded her. “Me too,” She admitted.

Bucky carefully reach out and rest his left hand atop of hers as they’d been twisting roughly in her lap. She instantly stilled and Bucky tried not to dwell on the fact that he’d unintentionally reached out with his metal hand. He hoped she wasn’t afraid of him, that was the last thing he wanted.

He needn’t have worried, however, as she squirmed one of her hands out from beneath his and cupped it over top of the cooler metal, feeling it warm easily beneath the heat of her hand. “Thank you,” She whispered, gaze lowered.

Bucky shook his head. “No reason to say thank you yet.”

At that, she looked up at him, brow furrowed in confusion. “I have so much to say thank you for,” She admitted and Bucky just _looked_ at her, _really_ looked at her.

She was pretty, he’d known that from the day he’d gone to check out the shop, but seeing her up close, even with the ways her eyes remained red-rimmed, the corners wrinkled and tense with worry, the tightness of her jaw, the way her hair just didn’t want to cooperate, a wild mess of curls and fly-aways, she still looked pretty, _gorgeous_ , really.

Her dark eyes looked as if they were perpetually brimming with tears but he really couldn’t blame her, not where her child had been taken from her. He inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly as he shook his head again. “When you have your son safe and in your arms, you can say thank you, but not to me,” He told her and his meaning was clear.

They both knew that it was going to be a Team effort but there was no mistaking that _Steve_ was going to be the one walking out of there with their son wrapped up in his arms, keeping him safe, _rescuing_ him.

They sat in quiet for a little while, until Bucky pulled his hand back from hers and told her to try and get some sleep, knowing that it was a futile request but feeling the need to try and get her to do so anyway. She gently brushed his concerns aside and continued to sit and stare at nothing, her heart beating too quickly, her body still shaking, _trembling_ as she let herself think about the danger James could be in. She tried so hard not to think the worst, but she couldn’t help it.

They must know he’s Steve’s son, they wouldn’t have taken him otherwise. Did that mean they wanted to use him to get Steve to turn himself in to them? To Hydra? Or did they want him for something else? He shared Steve’s blood, potentially the serum could play a part here. Did they think her son was enhanced? Did they think he was like Steve? That he could heal, that he was fast, that he was _strong?_

The thoughts came in waves and they frightened her, _terrified_ her. She found herself breathing through her nose a little harsher and before long she was panting, having worked herself up into a frightened state.

Bucky had been watching her out of the corner of his eyes, the others shooting her careful glances here and there. Steve had moved to take up the seat Bailey had left to sit beside Bucky and had been watching the pair in silence while he flicked through files on the base they’d be infiltrating. The _known_ base they’d be infiltrating. They both noticed when she’s started hyperventilating, panic clearly settling into her very _bones_ and Steve was up and out of his seat at the first soft wheeze that escaped her lips.

“ _Bailey-_ “ He whispered, tone not harsh, not exactly, but firm, _commanding_.

Her watery gaze snapped up to him and then he was crouching down in front of her and grasping her hands-that had been clenched so hard her nails were digging into her palms-and carefully making her unclench. He splayed his hands wide beneath hers, winding their fingers together and feeling how clammy and cold they’d grown.

He shook his head and then Bucky was shifting in his seat beside her as she leaned forward into the blond’s space. His metal hand found the back of her neck and he gently stroked soothingly down the length of her spine, over her vest and applying pressure so that she might take comfort in his half embrace. She did, listing into his touch as he shifted closer and she let out a shudder breath as Bucky instructed her to breath with him.

“In for five, out for three,” He murmured, breathing and instructing her to follow his lead.

She tried, she really did but for the first little while it didn’t exactly work. She hiccuped and wheezed a couple of times and Steve shifted in closer, untangling one of their hands to gently push some of her hair back behind her ear as he placed a couple of fingers beneath her chin and tipped her head up, forcing her to meet the startling blue of his eyes.

“Deep breaths, Bailey. Come on, I know you can do it. You’re working yourself up into a panic attack and I-I need you to be here with me, alright? I need you to breath with Bucky-in for five, out for three-and settle yourself. We’re going to find him, we’re going to bring him home, he’s going to be fine,” Steve tried to assure her and watched in wretched sadness as tears started to escape her eyes, wetting her soft cheeks, speckled with far more freckles than he recalled.

Steve wanted to wipe away her tears but he didn’t get the chance, Bailey’s free hand coming up to wipe hastily at them. “Okay, okay-“ She said shakily and forced herself to sit up straighter and they both watched as she managed to settle herself down enough to breath properly.

It took another couple of minutes for her to settle but she was breathing better, though, she was still shaking terribly. Neither thought she’d stopped shaking since she first came to them.

Steve carefully smoothed his palms over the tops of her thighs and she shuddered, gently placing a hand over his to still him. He realized what he’d been doing and carefully withdrew his hands, wanting to look at Bucky to see if he was angry with him for touching her so brazenly, but finding he couldn’t bring himself to do so. He glanced up into Bailey’s face instead and found her clenching her eyes shut tightly and she looked torn between wanting to lean into Bucky, into _him_ even, and forcibly stopping herself from taking comfort from either of them.

Steve didn’t understand how she was feeling, he _couldn’t_. She looked pained and scared and absolutely destroyed and he didn’t know how to help, felt like he was somehow making it worse. He watched as she seemed to reluctantly pull herself away from Bucky’s half-embrace and the brunet looked saddened by the loss of her as she shifted away from both of them, no longer touching either of them anymore and instead clutching the blanket in her lap a little tighter.

“Thank you, sorry, I-I’m fine now,” She explained, voice shaking and Steve watched as she blinked open her dark eyes, red from crying and glassy from yet more tears.

A couple managed to escape but she didn’t wipe them away, just shook her head apologetically and Steve huffed out a tense breath. “Nothing to be sorry for, we’ll get through this,” He found himself whispering and she nodded, looking away from him.

She believed him, she _did_ , but she just couldn’t shake the startling _terror_ of it all. They’d _taken her son_ and it was-it was the single most _wretched_ thing that she’d ever been through. Even the thought of dying on that table, James’ screams echoing around the room, _alive_ , so very much alive even as she was bleeding out and people were scrambling, shouting orders and trying to save her. All she could do was _breathe_ because James was alive, James was there and perfect and screaming his head off but he would be okay, he would. Because Nick knew about him and-and if anything happened to her, James would be brought safely to his father, Nick promised.

She’d wondered then as the room swam around her, peoples voices talking in hurried tones, _panicked_ , they’d been panicking, rushing to try and stop the bleeding and the room had gone in and out of focus, the sound cutting in and out, dimming, nearly muting. But she could still hear James, no longer screaming but sniffling and she wondered, wondered if this was how her Mum had felt when she’d given birth to her all those years ago.

Did she feel at peace? Knowing that her husband would take care of her daughter? Did she feel that same happiness she had felt when she heard James’ screams echoing around the hospital room, the sheer _relief_ at hearing her baby _live_ , use those perfect tiny lungs as if to tell the world, _I’m here, I’m alive, Mommy did it!_ And she was sure, _so damn sure_ that her mother must have felt the same way as she had as she drifted into unconsciousness.

She hadn’t expected to wake up, maybe her mother hadn’t either. The only difference was that she had and that...Bailey had cried for days afterwards and it had been in both blessed relief and terrified disappointment. Because now she was going to raise her son _alone_ and she knew that was wrong to think about, knew it was wrong to be upset about because she would have left James to Steve to raise him on his own too. She came out of it nearly three days later when Maria and Nick had come to the hospital and met James, had offered to help, to keep her secret and...and she’d taken it, of course.

They’d been good to her, Nick especially. They’d been there for her, helped her with doctors appointments, getting any help or therapy she required. She didn’t go to therapy, said she didn’t need it. Instead, she found therapy in her new friend, May. The nurse that had helped save her life. May had come to check on her numerous times while she was in the hospital, even when she was moved to a different wing and then after, she’d come to the bookstore and inquired about her.

Bailey had gotten on well with her and they’d become friends. Not...not really close or anything, but they met up for coffee, lunch dates on occasion, just to chat and share stories. Over the first couple of years of their friendship, she’d gotten to know Peter too, the young dorky high-school kid who had two crazy sweet friends, one of which- _MJ-_ she’d hired to work at the bookstore for her and they’d grown closer. May was busier the last while as she’d started dating, but they still talked, she still popped in to say hello from time to time, but Bailey had grown closer to Peter, Michelle and even Ned.

They were good kids and they _always_ treated James with respect and kindness. Bailey couldn’t ask for better friends, even if they were a little over half her age. Age was just a number, you were only as old as you felt, after all.

“You’re not fine,” Bucky whispered, drawing her back suddenly to the present.

She blinked, looking to him and gave him a watery smile. “But it’s okay, right? We’re going to be okay and we’re going to find him and bring h-him home.”

Steve and Bucky both nodded. “Of course,” Steve assured her, reaching out to push some of the hair that had fallen across her brow away, but she caught his hand and gently lowered it, giving him a squeeze before letting it go.

Steve’s heart ached. He wanted to touch her but he realized quite quickly that perhaps his touch was not wanted. He swallowed thickly and shifted back a bit, carefully not touching her, giving her space. She nodded, taking in a deeper breath and nodded once again.

They were quiet for a moment and Steve wanted to move, to maybe sit beside her, but he didn’t trust himself not to hug her and he really didn’t want to move away from her right then. So, he shifted and sat his ass down on the floor of the Quinjet, thankful he’d unstrapped the shield and left it by his seat earlier.

Bailey blinked at him slowly and then glanced down at the floor pointedly. “Steve, sit in a chair.”

“Nah, I’m good,” Steve said dismissively, waving a hand. “Besides, if you’re not going to listen to Bucky or my advice and _sleep_ , why should I listen to yours and _sit?_ ”

She huffed, clearly annoyed, but there was a twitch at the edge of her lips that made him smile tentatively. Bucky let out a little snort and shifted back in his seat, letting out a deep sigh. “She’s as stubborn as you are, Steve. No wonder you two found each other.”

Bailey stiffened beside him and Bucky cast her a quiet look, considering. “I don’t think I’ve said this yet, so I’m going to say it now, Bailey,” Bucky started, glancing pointedly at Steve when the blond went to object.

Steve snapped his jaw shut with Bucky’s quelling look and then the brunet turned his attention back to Bailey. “I’m not upset that you and Steve found each other,” Bucky admitted. “I’m not upset that you were together, not at all.”

Bailey’s throat clicked as she struggled to make sense of that. Bucky knew she was probably going to try and object when her lips parted but he held up a hand to her in a gesture for quiet. She gave it to him. “I am so happy that you were able to be there for him when I couldn’t and I-“ Bucky blew out a slow breath. “I wasn’t lying when I told you that Steve told me about you. He-he was convinced he did something wrong by me by being with you because he’s a noble shit and- _anyway-_ “ Bucky interrupted himself when Steve made a soft embarrassed sound. “ _I_ told him that he was crazy, that he was an idiot because he didn’t even know that I was _alive_ and I wasn’t, not-not really,” Bucky went on. “He was trying to move on, live his life and find his place in this new world-“

“He wasn’t-“ Bailey suddenly interrupted, casting a worried glance towards Steve and then turning her attention back to Bucky.

Bucky stilled and then frowned, uncertain. “What?”

“H-he wasn’t trying to move on, n-not from you,” She whispered, looking back to Steve. “He told me about you too, Bucky. He-he told me about what you two had together, about your first date, about how much he loved you, that he lost you,” Her brows pinched and she frowned. “I knew that he would never stop loving you, told him so. He wasn’t trying to move on from you, wasn’t trying to forget you. He wasn’t-“ She stressed. “He was-“

“ _Hurting_ ,” Steve filled in, interrupting her. “And she-she told me that she didn’t want to push me, didn’t want to rush me, that she’d be happy even if we just stayed friends because I wasn’t ready and needed more time and I-“

“ _Steve-_ “ She murmured, voice soft.

“And I told her that I wanted to go steady with her, wanted to take things slow, maybe because it was what I thought I needed, but then she told me that she knew I’d never stop loving you, stop missing you and I just-“ He shook his head, huffing out a breath. “Told her I didn’t want to go so slow anymore and things-“

Steve made a face then and Bailey bit her lower lip. “ _Escalated_ ,” Bucky filled in, his lips twitching into a little half-smirk.

Steve huffed in reluctant amusement, meanwhile, Bailey’s cheeks heated terribly. “ _Right,_ ” Steve said, voice a little tight.

They were quiet for a moment and then Steve was turning his attention to Bailey. He swallowed thickly and ducked his head a bit in an attempt to get her attention. She tried to avoid it...for a moment and then she glanced up through her lashes at him. “I know what you’re going to ask me, Steve...but please, not right now.”

Steve did want to ask her something right then. _He did._ But, he would respect her wishes if it meant she would tell her everything later. “You’ll still tell me everything later...won’t you? You’ll still tell me... _why?_ Later, right?”

Bailey nodded tightly and looked to him seriously. “Of course,” She said earnestly and Steve nodded stiltedly.

Bucky glanced between them both quietly, feeling like an intruder. He wondered if she didn’t want to talk about it because he was there, but somehow he didn’t think that was right. She’d been open with both of them, at least, as much as she was capable of right now. He stilled when he suddenly found her eyes on him again.

“Thank you...for understanding...for not being upset with Steve or I-“

“ _Bailey_ -“ Bucky sighed, shaking his head. “It happened a long time ago, like I said, you both thought I had died. I wasn’t there, _couldn’t_ be there. It’s okay.”

Bailey inhaled shakily and nodded, lowering her gaze as Steve shifted at her feet, Bucky leaning back in his seat. “Besides,” Bucky murmured, voice quiet, sincere and _awed_. “How could I be mad when you’ve given Steve a child? He-he’s always wanted to be a dad.”

Bailey stilled, completely taken aback. She found herself staring at Bucky in shock. Had he...did he really just say that? Bailey found she couldn’t look away from him, though she desperately wanted to look at Steve, she knew if she did, she might just break down. She could hear Steve’s quiet breathing, the way it had just, _stopped_ when Bucky had said that, but now he was so damn quiet and Bailey knew he was probably waiting for her to say something, but she just, _couldn’t._

Eventually she did look, only when there was a soft rustle of movement beside her and she turned her head to find Steve looking down at his hands with the softest expression on his handsome face...as he looked at the picture Bailey had given him...that she’d thought they’d left in the War Room.

Her heart clenched and she found her throat closing up, strangling her with emotion. She forced it back, forced the sob that wanted to escape down, _down_ as far as it would go and then just exhaled shakily as she sat back in her chair, unable to look at either man for fear of just... _shattering_ into a thousand tiny pieces.

Bailey lost track of time after that. Steve eventually got up and went to relieve Clint for a while so that he could nap. Peter had come over to sit with her while Tony busied himself with Bruce on something… _science-y_ and Thor and Bruce were napping in the corner. Sam was sitting with Bucky while the brunet took apart his guns...probably the fourth or fifth one so far on his person. She didn’t doubt that he probably had at least five more on him...not to mention all the knives and flash-grenades.

She tried not to think about it and glanced to Peter who had curled up beside her, head tucked against her thigh but not on it. She let her hand card lightly through his curls, his mask left over beside him for later. He shivered at the gentle touch, but his eyes remained closed so she gently carded her fingers through his locks. She did this for James all the time. Just, caressed his hair, he _loved_ having his hair played with. Said it always made him sleepy.

She smiled fondly at the thought and watched the little furrow between Peter’s brows smooth out. She lifted her gaze from him after a little while and found Sam watching her intently. She tried not to blush but Sam just smiled at her and she blushed anyway. She huffed out a soft breath and Bucky chuckled softly from beside her, drawing their gazes.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Bucky evaded and she narrowed her eyes at him.

Sam nudged his shoulder and Bucky smiled a little. “Fine, sorry, I just think it’s cute, seeing Peter be all sweet for someone. He’s usually pretty prickly around us.”

Sam hummed in agreement and Bailey frowned. “Prickly? How? He’s like, one of the sweetest kids.”

“Exactly,” Sam explained, voice low. “He’s a kid, well, not really. He’s 18, we know, but he’s always trying to prove himself around us, trying to hide the fact that he’s younger than us. He gets his nose out of joint whenever we tease him and it’s good natured, _honest_ , but he just...thinks that no one takes him seriously, so he’s always uh...kind of-“

“A dick?” Bucky supplied and Sam snickered.

Bailey blinked, glancing down at Peter who was still sleeping peacefully. Peter was a sweetheart, _is_ as sweetheart, always has been. She curled a little protectively around him and frowned. “He is not, he’s a sweet muffin,” Bailey defended, scowling at them a little.

Bucky’s smile only grew and Sam was full on grinning now. “See, I want to argue with you on that, because he gives us _such shit_ if we ever tell him he’s a sweetheart.”

Sam laughed softly. “Honestly, the kid doesn’t need to prove himself with us, but he puts on this front, like he’s a big intimidating guy and we _know_ he’s strong, we know he’s smart and yeah, _okay,_ that’s a bit of an understatement, but he tries to come across more badass than he is, I guess, _older_ would be the word and don’t get us wrong, he’s not a child, we know that, but he’s also not an adult. He’s very mature for his age, he’s been through a lot, but the way he hides himself and pretends to be someone he’s not around us? _That’s_ the problem we have with the kid.”

Bailey blinked, caught off guard. Peter _had_ been through a lot and granted, she didn’t know anything about the Spider Man gig, it couldn’t be an easy life and to be constantly surrounded by superheroes who were much older than him, well, yeah, okay, she kind of maybe got it.

“He’s prickly around you guys because he’s intimidated by you,” She said quietly, brushing some of his curls from the boy’s temple.

Bucky and Sam paused to consider this. “Maybe?” Bucky agreed and Sam huffed.

“Always feels like he has something to prove, yeah. I get that, but he really doesn’t. Pete’s stronger than us, we’re not stupid enough to believe otherwise. He doesn’t need to feel that way,” Sam explained.

Bailey hummed and nodded lightly. “Maybe he just hasn’t come to realize the truth of that yet.”

Bucky let out a slow breath and Bailey looked to him curiously. “He’s been better lately, but he-he still has his guard up. We can’t quite figure out why.”

Bailey shrugged lightly. “He’ll get through it, I’m sure. Be kind and he’ll be kind back.”

They were quiet after a beat, just the sounds of Bucky taking apart his next gun between them audible over the din of the aircraft and the others soft voices. Bailey looked to Sam a moment later when she heard the man let out a soft breath.

“I get it now,” Sam murmured, gaze fixed on her and she blinked, not following.

But then Bucky was smiling and ducking his head and somehow, Bailey knew that whatever Sam _got_ , it had something to do with her and probably Steve if Bucky’s soft smile and glance towards his husband was any indication. She huffed softly and turned her gaze away, only to settle on the newly dismantled _SIG-Sauer_ in Bucky’s grasp.

She shifted a little and gently removed her hand from Peter’s hair, motioning towards the handgun. “You got an extra one of those?” She asked, voice quiet; heaven forbid Steve hear her asking his husband for a _gun._

Bucky raised a brow at her in curiosity. “An extra _SIG?_ ” He asked carefully.

She shrugged a little, glancing along his person, noting the three other guns she could see strapped to his various extremities. “An extra gun,” She sighed. “I won’t be picky.”

Bucky huffed, clearly amused. “And why would I give you a gun?”

Bailey raised a brow at him and without giving him an answer, she reached out and offered him her hand, palm up. When Bucky simply eyed her outstretched hand with a raised brow, she huffed and made a _gimme_ gesture. The corner of his lips twitched, but he handed over the gun…and then the remaining pieces of said gun.

He was wholly unprepared to see her swiftly piece it back together, the familiar sounds of the slide of metal on metal filling the small space between them and then she was cocking it, checking the safety and positioning herself as if to take aim; not at anything in particular, she was careful to keep it pointed down towards nothing, gun safety 101 and everything, but Bucky was still impressed.

She levelled him with a flat look as she clicked the safety on and presented the gun back to him in her open palm. Bucky hummed and cocked his head. “I think you’re forgetting something.”

She raised a carefully manicured brow at him and then _smiled_ and it was so predatory that Bucky thought for a moment he must be making a face because _wow_ , she was absolutely _delightful._ “I haven’t forgotten anything, perhaps it’s _you_ who has forgotten-in your old age, might I add-to hand over the magazine I saw you try and be sneaky with.”

Bucky barked out a surprise laugh and Bailey smirked, obviously pleased with herself when Bucky failed to stifle it and reluctantly handed over the magazine, the very much _loaded_ magazine. He barely resisted the urge to warn her to be careful and instead bit down on his tongue as she slid it properly into place and then cocked it, safety still safely on.

“Thought I wouldn’t notice the weight difference, or you know, the fact that there was an entire _piece_ missing from the damn thing, Bucky?” She _tsked_ at him and Bucky smirked lopsidedly at her.

“Caught that, did you?”

She scoffed at him and he settled back a little further in his seat, Sam grinning and unable to smother it as he nudged Bucky with his knee. Bucky didn’t bother sparing him a glance and instead pointedly looked back down at where Bailey was offering him his gun back. She shrugged a little and Bucky’s eyes darted back up to hers.

“Like I said, Maria spent some time with me, taught me some hand to hand and-“ She shrugged. “Nick thought it would be good for me to learn how to handle a couple of weapons, you know, for my protection.”

Bucky stared at her…and then stared some more. “For your protection,” He said slowly.

Bailey blinked and then shrugged. “Well, _yes_. I told him that I had some concerns a-about-“ She glanced towards where Steve and Tony were still talking quietly and then looked back to Bucky. “Steve told me…t-that one of the reasons he couldn’t be with me, was because it would put me in danger,” She explained, voice having gone soft and she no longer appeared to be able to look Bucky or Sam in the eyes. “So I thought, maybe he was right about that and if someone- _heaven forbid-_ were to find out that I-that _James_ was…his, well…I felt like I needed to be able to protect us, is all.”

Bucky blew out a slow breath and nodded, hoping his face wasn’t looking quite as pinched as it felt. “That’s fair,” He agreed, voice soft.

She looked up at him at that and found nothing but earnest understanding there. She relaxed a little, her shoulders dropping slightly. “As much as I hope you’ll never have to, having some basic self-defence and weapons skills is a good thing. I’m glad they pushed you to learn,” Bucky agreed and Sam hummed, nodding.

“It’s true, Steve actually teaches self-defence classes at a bunch of high schools every year, Bucky and I even go along occasionally,” Sam told her.

Bailey blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Sam went on. “We use it as a PR thing, but I think we all genuinely enjoy giving the kids something to help themselves feel more confident and the like.”

Bailey nodded, going a little starry-eyed. “You’re all good people,” She blurted and then immediately flushed, Sam and Bucky’s lips curving up into matching smiles. “I-it’s just-“ She flushed an even darker shade of red as she floundered and neither man thought it all that pressing to interrupt her and instead looked to her with steadily rounding puppy-dog eyes.

“It’s just… _James would be so jealous,_ ” She laughed and the two men blinked, caught off guard. “You are all _superheroes_ ,” She explained. “You’re his favourites, I mean granted, he _does_ have a particular favourite, but he still idolizes all of you, _I_ idolize all of you. You’re good people.”

Bucky blinked and smiled at her bashfully, Sam chuckling softly under his breath. “Don’t say that too loudly, Stark’ll let it go to his head and, let’s face it, Clint too,” Bucky chuckled.

Bailey’s gaze softened and she smiled softly. “You’re all good people,” She said again and then sighed, looking down at where she was still holding on to Bucky’s _SIG_ and then offered it to him again.

Bucky looked down at it and gently shook his head. “You have a holster,” He murmured, gesturing to her right thigh. “Should probably put something in it.”

Bailey exhaled slowly and checked the safety again before slipping it into her thigh holster with a soft noise of the metal against leather. Bucky nodded, glancing over to Sam who was watching them both with a thoughtful look. Bucky didn’t care for it.

“Don’t you have to check your wings or something, Wilson?”

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing when he wasn’t wanted. “Yeah, yeah, guess I do,” He agreed, smiling kindly at Bailey before going to sit down with Clint who was dozing lightly.

They fell into quiet after that and Bailey tried to keep herself busy, _distracted_ from the thoughts she’d experienced earlier, but she couldn’t quite help herself from thinking of her son. It was just the two of them. Had been for the last five and a half years, just them. He was _all_ she thought about.

She glanced up to see if Bucky was paying attention to her at all and found him looking down at a StarkPad in his lap, studying what looked like a building layout. She breathed out slowly and then glanced _past_ him to where Steve was now seated in the pilots chair, Natasha having moved over to sit next to Tony who was draped half over a table and looking to the red-head as she spoke in low tones to him.

Her gaze slipped back to Steve then and found the blond staring ahead at-Bailey blinked, finding that he’d placed the picture of James against one of the consoles in front of him. Her heart clenched and she took a breath. Without giving her mind time to think about what she was doing, she stood and started to walk towards the blond.

.

Steve heard her coming, her soft footfalls against the floor of the jet echoed in his ears and he forced himself not to react outwardly to her presence, even if his heart rate picked up a bit when he could practically _feel_ the warmth radiating off of her at his back. She was suddenly _right there_ , so close and he exhaled shakily and hoped she wouldn’t notice.

“Hey,” Came her tentative voice and then she was in his peripherals, motioning towards the empty seat next to him. “This seat taken?”

He hummed softly and shook his head. “Be my guest.”

Bailey slipped quietly into the seat and let out a soft sigh as she shifted to pull her phone from her pants pocked. Steve glanced to her, watching as she unlocked the phone, catching a quick glimpse of her lock screen. He couldn’t help the soft smile when he realized it was a photo of Bailey and James smiling at the camera.

“I um…saw you looking at the photo,” She said gently, glancing towards the photo Steve still had propped up against the console.

Steve followed her gaze and swallowed hard, unable to respond. “I thought…you might like to see a few more pictures of y-your son,” She said, voice quiet and soft.

Steve blinked in surprise, turning his gaze back to her, to find her holding her phone out for him with a tentative smile on her face. Steve’s heart leapt into his throat and he hesitantly reached out to take the phone. He nearly fumbled it when he saw the _hundreds_ of small thumbnails taking up the screen. Bailey smiled a little bashfully as he took the phone from her and she shifted in her spot as she tried to see what photos he would pick.

“They’re all of him, really. Jack too and me, but mostly James,” She told him, biting her bottom lip nervously.

Steve glanced over at her again and she forced herself to look away for a moment, unable to meet his bright blue orbs. She knew that Steve had gone back to looking at the phone when she heard the unmistakable sound of his breath hitching in the next moment. She dared to look at him and her expression fell, her heart _aching_ with the force of the painful _longing_ she could see on Steve’s gorgeous face.

He was staring down at the phone now cradled carefully in his grasp and Bailey was at a loss as he started swiping through the photos on the screen. His eyes were suddenly brimming, _shining_ with unshed tears and she could see the love there, the _awe_ in his eyes, in the curve of the smile that was slowly overtaking his face.

James is beautiful. Was Steve’s first thought. Seeing his smiling baby-face even in a photograph was enough to bring sudden heat to his eyes. He could feel the happiness practically _radiating_ from each picture, the way the boy smiled, his eyes crinkling and his cheeks dimpling. He could _see_ the laughter in each photograph, knew that Bailey must have been grinning something fierce as she took those photos of their-their _son._

_Christ,_ but he had a _son!_ His heart felt like it wouldn’t stop tripping over itself and he let out a heavy breath as he blinked past the sudden rush of tears as he swiped to the next photo. It wasn’t just a photo, however, it turned out to be a video. He could see the play button and he didn’t hesitate before clicking the little button.

He was instantly treated to the sound of laughter, bright and beautiful, _joyous_ in only the way a child could be. It was unbridled happiness in that laughter and Steve watched as Bailey slowly crept around the corner of one of bookshelves and Steve was sure it was in the store when in the next moment he was treated to the sight of the children’s nook where…where James was curled up on the floor with Jack, the dog licking the boys face happily and making him giggle so euphorically.

He didn’t realize it immediately, but he was grinning, smiling so bright and adoringly down at the screen and Bailey was so, so gone on this man. Getting over Steve Rogers? _Yeah,_ ** _right_** _._ It was laughable, truly. She’d known from the moment she met him that he was going to be trouble, she hadn’t known just how much that day in the coffee shop, but she sure as shit knew it the night they’d fallen into bed together.

James was still giggling happily in the video and when Bailey heard her own light laughter from the video, she blushed lightly and looked away, feeling as if she were intruding on a private moment. The video ended and Steve exhaled roughly, drawing Bailey’s gaze only a touch reluctantly. Steve was still looking down at the phone in his grasp and she blew out a slow breath when she looked down at the screen.

He’d swiped to the next photo.

That was one of her favourite pictures and she smiled when she saw Steve looking at it. She’d taken it as soon as she’d finished filming the video, James still laughing, his cheeks flushed and shiny with Jack’s spit. She turned the camera to take a selfie and captured herself smiling brightly with James’ cheek smushed up against hers and Jack’s nose and eyes barely visible as he shoved himself into the frame, his tongue lolling out all the while.

They looked so _happy_.

Steve’s smile slowly faltered and Bailey didn’t fail to notice. Her brows furrowed and she reached out to him, gently laying her hand over his forearm, giving him a fierce squeeze. “ _Hey_ ,” She tried, watching as his gaze rose to meet hers. “Whatever you’re thinking, _stop_.”

Steve blew out a sharp breath through his nose and blinked through the rush of heat behind his eyes. She watched him for a moment and let out a slow breath of her own as she gave him another squeeze.

He gently laid his hand atop hers and squeezed her in turn. “I was thinking…” He said slowly, pushing back the urge to say, _you look so happy…without me_ and instead whispered, “I can’t wait to see him-to see him smile and hear him laugh for real.”

His voice was undoubtedly strained, tense with emotion and Bailey nodded, shifting closer to him, barely remaining in her seat. “You will, Steve, you will,” She promised, gently drawing her hand back.

He exhaled shakily and handed over her phone. He couldn’t bear to look at any more pictures of him, not until he saw his smiling face for real. She accepted it quietly, pocketing it and Steve cast a look over his shoulder to the others to see if any had been watching them. He knew they were a bunch of nosy bastards on a good day and surely they were chomping at the bit to know more about her, at least, Tony sure as hell was.

But the Team was quietly conversing or dozing, checking over their weapons or the mission briefing he’d helped Tony compile and send out on their StarkPads. He’d brief them shortly, closer to their landing so that it would be fresh in their minds.

He let his gaze wander over to Bucky to find the man looking over at Peter, sprawled over a couple of seats near him, curled up around the blanket Bailey had brought with her, James’ blanket. He let out a rough breath and glanced back up to Bucky’s face, only to find those grey-blue orbs shining back at him. Bucky tipped his head and gave Steve a gentle nod and Steve was so grateful for this man. He exhaled shakily and before he knew what he was doing, he was up and out of his seat, murmuring a soft, _I’ll be right back_ to Bailey before making his way towards Bucky.

Bailey couldn’t help turning a bit in her seat, making to get more comfortable as she drew her legs up half under her and tucked herself back into the seat but in doing so, she let her gaze wander towards the back of the jet, her eyes tracking Steve’s sure movements. He looked damn good in the suit, that was for sure and that harness, who in their right mind designed that because she needed to have _words_ with them.

When the blond stopped in front of Bucky, she blinked and was unable to look away as he bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to his husband’s lips. Bucky looked momentarily surprised, but he relaxed, nearly _melted_ into the kiss as Steve carded a hand through his longer locks and cupped the back of his head. Bailey closed her eyes.

They were so beautiful together, so in love and wonderfully perfect. She swallowed hard and tried to relax, turning her gaze away to stare at the empty seat beside her instead. She was happy for them, truly, she was. When she’d heard that Steve had found him, what had happened to him…she’d been devastated as if Bucky had been _her_ best friend. She’d followed the news for weeks after that bomb had been dropped, learning about the Winter Soldier’s crimes and knowing that it was never truly Bucky who had committed them.

He’d been brainwashed and Steve and the rest of the Avengers had done everything in their power to have the trial go the way it _should_. Of course Tony’s legal team had come out on top. Barnes was a Prisoner of War and should be treated with respect and honour. Tony, Steve and the rest of the Avengers had seen to that.

She’d followed his recovery in the news, on social media. She felt like an intruder at times, but she had to know how they were doing. For her own peace of mind, she had to know. So, she followed the news networks on television and kept a close eye on the Avengers _Twitter_ and _Instagram_ accounts. She had not been prepared for there to be a post, a _picture_ _post_ starring Steve and Bucky themselves sharing a sweet kiss and coming out to the world.

She’d cried…she’d cried, big fat ugly tears for nearly an hour before she’d been forced to come back to herself, because she had obligations, she had responsibilities, she had a _child_. She’d put on her happy face and she _was happy_ , for them, she was happy for them. She really was, but it didn’t stop her heart from breaking at seeing them be so happy together. Lord knows they deserved to be happy after all they’d been through _._

But didn’t she deserve to be happy too? She knew she did, _of course_ she knew that and she _was_ happy, happy with her life and James was such a blessing. She loved him with all her heart and then some. But that didn’t stop her from feeling lonely. Not that she was ever _alone_. Between Jack and James, she rarely ever got the chance to pee in peace or watch a television program that wasn’t some kind of children’s show or sing a song that wasn’t from a _Disney_ movie or even _sleep_ without at least one of them sprawled out beside her or on top of her.

Not that she’d trade it for the world, however.

But, she was still lonely.

She’d avoided social media and news networks for weeks after that, telling herself it was just to give them privacy. That they didn’t need to have the rest of the world and _her_ watching them rekindle their love life. She lasted nearly three months and then it was completely by accident that she’d stumbled across an article about them while out at one of her favourite lunch spots.

She’d barely slid into her usual seat when she caught sight of a magazine on the chair beside her. She blinked at the colourful picture and hesitantly reached out for the glossy pages. When she unfolded it and was met with Steve and Bucky’s smiling faces as they held hands and posed for the camera with the headline: _THE Power Couple_.

Bailey couldn’t help herself, she flicked through the magazine to the article and was met with five pages. She read less than two paragraphs before the words, _wedding planning_ made her choke up. She grabbed the magazine and hastily shoved it into her purse before leaving the small bistro. By the time she got back to the shop, she was teary-eyed and shaking.

Michelle had taken James to the park while she went out to the bank and had a bite to eat and she’d made it to the bank, had stopped on her way back for lunch, planning on bringing them both something back to snack on, when she’d come across the magazine. Needless to say, she didn’t eat and when James and Michelle came back from their playdate at the park, she still didn’t have lunch ready for them.

Michelle had offered to put something together, but she’d refused, refused because she needed to take care of her son, take care of the girl that was just trying to help, she _had helped_. Offered to take James once and a while for a couple of hours to play at the park or just sit and watch a movie upstairs while she helped customers downstairs in the shop. Sometimes Ned and Peter would come by and _Christ_ but she trusted those kids something awful.

She’d forced herself to forget about the magazine and instead made lunch for all three of them, even if she didn’t eat any of it herself. Michelle had known something was wrong but kindly didn’t mention it and before long the shop was closed and it was just her, James and Jack. She’d put James to bed early, tired out from his afternoon trip to the park and she’d folded herself up on the couch and had a staring contest with the magazine.

The magazine won.

She must have read the article no less than nine times that night alone and no matter how many times she read it, it still said the same thing. They were planning a wedding.

She’d struggled with being happy for them then, but she knew that was her beef. And it wasn’t like she _wasn’t_ happy for them, because she _was._ She was just…also…well, _jealous_. She wasn’t jealous of Bucky. Nor was she jealous of Steve. She was jealous of the fact that they had what she didn’t think she’d ever get to have. Because it wasn’t just love between them, she could see that in their photos, even just the crappy ones the paparazzi managed to get of them doing mundane tasks like shopping or getting coffee together or grabbing lunch together. They possessed something deeper than love and Bailey wasn’t ever stupid enough to think she could ever have something like that.

Still, she’d wanted to find love at least, maybe…a little bit. Being a full-time mom and shop owner was proving to test her limits, but she had help from a few close friends and although she had no family, they sometimes felt more like family than she cared to admit. Which is why, nearly six months _after_ she’d heard of Steve and Bucky’s wedding, she said yes to the surprise offer to get coffee from a nice guy that had wandered into her shop. He’d been by a few times to peruse, bought a couple of books, but never said a whole lot. She thought he was cute, nice, but…well, he was no Steve Rogers.

It had…uh, it hadn’t gone well.

He’d known she had a child, known she was the owner of the bookstore, known she hadn’t dated in quite some time and yeah, he’d seemed cool with all of that and then they’d gone on the date together. Just to get lunch, but…it hadn’t gone well.

The whole time she was comparing him to Steve, measuring up this guy and finding that he fell short in every possible way. She was more angry than anything about the fact that _she_ was the one sabotaging their date, that is, until something he said completely blind-sided her.

‘ _So you’re not like…in a rush to get married and have more kids, right?’_

She’d looked at him a little stunned at the blatant question. ‘ _I’m not in a rush to do either of those things right now no. But it is something I want potentially for my future, whether that’s 2 years from now or 5 or even 10 is left to be seen.’_

He’d- _well,_ he’d made a _face_ at her response and she’d just sort of frowned at him but before she cold assure him that she wasn’t dating right now with the express intention of looking for that sort of partner. He interrupted her and _hell_ , she was just _starting_ to date. Something she’d never even done before, not really. Growing up she hadn’t had like _any_ dates. She’d met Steve and things had just moved so smoothly. It was so _easy._

‘ _But you do, want those things? More kids, the wedding dress, the commitment?’_ He’d asked her and she’d, she’d just looked at him and shaken her head.

‘ _Maybe in the future, but not right-‘_

‘ _Christ, I thought you’d see being a single mom was awful and never want to have more. A life without kids would be so much better, don’t you think? I mean, you’d have freedom to travel, drink, have fun and live a much better life with_ ** _money_** _not having to spend it on a kid and shit-‘_

She’d just sat there, momentarily stunned by what she’d heard. She’d been absolutely beside herself and she didn’t give herself much time to think before she was standing up and slipping her arms through her coat, picking up her purse.

‘ _Well, it wasn’t nice chatting with you Jeremy. Do me a favour and never set foot in my shop again, alright?’_ And then she was out the door, his murmured, “ _It’s John_ ,” Sounding lost, _baffled_ by her swift dismissal barely reaching her ears before she stepped outside.

By the time she made it back to the shop, having to take a cab to get there, she was shaking with barely controlled _rage_. The _nerve_ on that man. She’d come up to the apartment and found Michelle just having tucked James into bed and her shoulders sagged in relief as she’d taken in the sight of her son wrapped up in blankets, surrounded by his stuffed animals and _all_ of his Captain America and Avengers stuff. It had made her smile something awful and Michelle had simply given her a lopsided smile and said her quiet good night.

So, it hadn’t gone well and she didn’t try again and that was…well, that had been a little over a year and a half ago and now here she was. She blinked open her dark eyes and couldn’t help it when her gaze drifted to where Steve had placed James’ picture.

She fought down the urge to cry and instead breathed out shakily, wrapping her arms about herself. They were going to find him and they were going to bring him home.

.

It felt like forever before Steve called a briefing. Bailey wasn’t exactly called over, but she scrambled to join the group as they settled around the table Steve and Tony had been seated at earlier in the flight nevertheless. Steve was as commanding as she envisioned, even in such a situation as this. He was calm and collected, to the point, explaining how he wanted them to split up. He gave orders with such ease and Bailey didn’t realize it at the time, but she’d been sitting at the edge of her seat waiting, _waiting_ for him to give _her_ orders.

Steve sure noticed, but he refused to meet her eyes during the exchange. He laid out his plan of attack; go in, in small teams and infiltrate the base _quietly_. They had no intel on how many agents might be present, but Tony was going to do his best to get them a scan of the place and give them some idea as to what they were dealing with.

While they were working through teams and where Steve wanted them, Sam casually mentioned a couple of rooms that were left unlabelled on the blueprints. Steve faltered. And for the first time during the briefing, Steve’s eyes strayed to Bailey’s.

She tensed beneath his stare, momentarily caught off guard. Because Steve looked _nervous_. “We’re not sure,” He said simply and then his eyes were shifting back to Sam and then back down to the blueprints.

“ _Bullshit-_ “ Bailey breathed, eyes round and accusing.

Steve stilled, everyone stilled and Bailey breathed out shakily. “You know what’s down there, Steve. W-why aren’t you saying it?”

Steve swallowed hard and seemed to steel himself. He was bent over slightly, hands braced against the table, blueprints laid out between them on the glass tabletop. It took every ounce of restraint not to just-break down. He didn’t know how to say this, didn’t know if he could. He sure as _shit_ didn’t want to say anything.

But the others were looking at him, at Bailey, trying to diffuse whatever possible situation was about to go down. Steve couldn’t diffuse it, couldn’t bring himself to force the words out, to assure her that things were going to be okay. But he knew the words would be hollow, forced. Maybe even a lie. He couldn’t do it, couldn’t bring himself to lie to her.

He clenched his jaw and was about to take a breath when Bucky shifted, turning around to better look at Bailey who was standing at the table between Tony and Peter. He glanced up as his husband turned to survey the younger woman with an unreadable expression on his face.

She looked up into the man’s face, unconsciously shifting to better focus on him and then he was shaking his head slowly. “They’re labs, Bailey. There are labs in that bunker.”

Bailey shook her head a little. “I don’t understand,” She admitted, breathing out shakily. “Why would there be-why would they take him to-“

Her brow furrowed as she stared up at him and Bucky took a steadying breath to ground himself. “They know he’s Steve’s son,” He explained. “He could-he might have traces of the serum in his blood and they-“

“ _He doesn’t-_ “ She said, near frantic and Bucky could _see_ the dawning panic, the terror taking over her. “He’s-he has _asthma_ and _allergies_ and _oh God_ -he doesn’t-I can’t-they-“

“Calm down-“ Bucky urged, watching as Peter gently curled a hand around her elbow and she jerked, startled by his touch.

“ _Bailey_ ,” Peter whispered, forcing her to turn to look at him.

She did, albeit reluctantly and Peter shifted, running both hands up her arms to gently grasp her shoulders. He gripped her a little harder then and she took a deeper breath, still shaky and terrified, but no longer nearing sheer levels of panic.

“We are going to march in there and get James back, I swear to you and you are _never_ ** _ever_** going to have to worry about keeping him safe again, because you are going to have _all of us_ to help protect him from now on. We are going to treat that kid like a King and be amazing and incredible aunts and uncles to that little boy and you are _never_ going to feel like this again, I swear to you,” Peter explained and _Christ,_ but that was a promise and a half.

But he believed it, every goddamn word he breathed. He believed it.

“But first, we have to get in there and we need you to be strong, _James_ needs you to be strong and I know you are, Bai, I do. So you need to trust us here, okay? This is what we do,” Peter said, voice firm and earnest, so damn strong.

Tears stung at her eyes as she nodded and she didn’t think twice about hauling the young man into her arms and squeezing him with all she had. Peter hugged her back just as tight, surprised by the strength of her grip on him. He breathed in the scent of her hair and tucked his cheek up against hers as he held her close, offering any kind of support he could to help.

“W-when did you grow up, Peter?” She huffed, a soft strained laugh escaping her and Peter smiled and held on, not bothering to answer with anything more than a shrug.

They stayed like that for a moment longer and then Bailey was pulling back a bit and letting Peter go. The younger man was smiling gently at her she wiped at her eyes a bit, refusing to meet anyone else’s gazes as she stepped back from the table.

“I’ll let you discuss this without me,” She whispered, voice shaky and despite the sudden rush of objections, she waved a hand and forced herself to walk away from the group towards a seat near the back of the jet.

They let her go, Steve taking a step after her but Bucky stepped into his path. “Finish the briefing, Stevie,” He murmured. “She needs a minute and we need to focus.”

Steve inhaled shakily and nodded, turning back to the others who were waiting patiently for him to continue. He nodded, knowing Bucky was right and he gently squeezed Bucky’s hand before returning to continue the briefing.

It didn’t take long to finish what they’d begun and their plan became further cemented as they neared their landing point. It was only a few minutes now until they would disembark and Bailey was quietly trying not to freak out. She knew she wouldn’t be leaving the safety of the jet. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that Bucky giving her a gun was going to magically let her go and help.

There was also a big part of her that recognized that she would be pretty useless in a fight against _Hydra_ seeing as there were what, _nine_ superheroes on board with her and they were all _far_ better equipped to deal with the situation than she would ever be. Still, didn’t mean it didn’t sting a bit. She really did hate feeling useless.

Jarvis came over the speakers and she exhaled deeply as the Team finished suiting up and started making their way back towards where she was seated, back towards the exit. Steve came towards her as she stood to see them off and he glanced over to Bruce.

“Bruce is staying onboard with you, Bailey. We’ll only call him in if we need backup and you are under absolutely no circumstance, to leave this jet. Understood?” Steve asked and well, he wasn’t exactly _asking_.

She swallowed thickly, standing and feeling so damn small when faced with a towering Captain America because he _definitely_ wasn’t Steve Rogers right now. “Understood,” She breathed, unable to look away from those bright eyes.

He nodded and she exhaled slowly, glancing to the others as they filed past. “I-is there a way I can keep track of your progress? I’m-I don’t want to be left in the dark.”

Steve nodded, glancing over to the comm station at their right. “Jarvis will give you information, you can ask him anything and he’ll keep you updated. You’ll be able to hear us as well, but we won’t be able to hear you. If there’s an emergency, he’ll contact us and patch you through, but otherwise-“

“Understood,” She interrupted and Steve breathed out sharply through his nose, turning his attention back to her.

“Bruce will keep you company and you’ll be able to see our positions on the monitors,” He explained, casting a glance down at where she had one of Bucky’s favourite guns strapped to her thigh. “I sincerely hope you won’t need to use that.”

She nodded when he looked back into her eyes and he watched her take a deep breath. “Me too, but I won’t hesitate if it’s necessary.”

Steve just stared at her for a beat and nodded. “Glad you had Hill give you some pointers,” He admitted and Bailey’s quirked a soft smile at him.

“You been eavesdropping, Steve?”

Steve huffed in amusement, glancing aside to where Bucky was watching Tony play with his new nanotech armour. Couldn’t really fault him for it either. It was pretty damn cool. He blinked, glancing back to Bailey who was also looking at Tony in open admiration.

“Super hearing,” He murmured and Bailey’s gaze flickered back to him.

“You were across the jet.”

Steve huffed, a little embarrassed. “I was.”

Bailey shook her head slowly and smiled a little smile just for him and Steve was smiling a little helplessly himself.

“ _Cap-_ “ Clint called from the pilot’s seat, having just turned over the controls to Jarvis. “We’re clear, cover’s still good, they won’t find the jet.”

He nodded and Clint smiled gently at them both as he came past, heading to join the others at the exit. “You’ll be airborne for a while, we’re just hopping off. Jarvis will bring you down when we call it in,” Steve told her and she nodded.

“Please tell-tell me when you’ve found him, when you’ve got him,” She asked and it was nearly begging and Steve knew it wouldn’t take more than a second of him pausing before she _did_ beg.

“I will,” He promised.

Bailey nodded and turned her gaze away, looking at a random spot on the floor. “Be careful, Steve.”

Steve took a hesitant step towards her and then another and without thinking too much about it, he wrapped his arms around her. She tensed, for a split second and then she was shifting and clutching at him as hard as she possibly could; Steve was a little surprised.

“Bring him back, Steve. Bring back our son,” She whispered and Steve nodded, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the smell of her.

“I will,” He whispered, forcing himself to pull from her embrace as the bay door at the back of the jet started to open.

She let him go and watched as he started towards the others, the jet making its final decent to hover a few feet off the ground. “Be careful!” She called. “All of you,” She breathed, glancing towards Bucky and then Peter as they turned to look at her.

They merely nodded, the eyes of Peter’s mask squinting a little and she knew he was smiling at her. Bailey stood there with Bruce now at her side and watched as the rest of the Team filed out of the jet. Steve was the first one off, Tony next and then the others followed. Bailey was left to watch as the eight heroes sprinted across the clearing and into the trees, disappearing in the foliage with the dawning light of morning creeping in through the trees.

Bruce coaxed her back over to the comm station and made her sit down and it wasn’t long before the jet’s doors raised up and they lifted back up into the air. When Bailey glanced to her companion, the scientist merely smiled and clapped her gently on the shoulder before turning his attention to the console and asking Jarvis to pull up their positions and open the communications link so they could keep tabs on the Team. Bailey relaxed, as much as she was able to anyway, and followed the blinking colour coated dots of the Team’s locations.

.

“We’re in,” Came Natasha’s check-in and Steve huffed when there was an answering check in from both Peter and then Clint.

“Good work, stay low, stay quiet and report back what you see. Buck and I are heading in. Iron-Man?”

“Falcon, Thor and I are on the roof, no guards, no vehicles-“

“I don’t like it,” Bucky muttered and Steve had to agree.

“It’s quiet,” Steve agreed. “Heat signatures?”

“Jarvis can’t get much of a read on the building,” Tony admitted, clearly upset about it. “But there’s power to the place and it’s giving out heat of its own.”

“Spider Man?” Steve called.

“It’s…it’s quiet in here,” Peter said, voice a little breathless. “I’m in the vents-“

“Aww, that’s my line,” Clint interrupted and Steve rolled his eyes.

“I’m in the vents,” Peter repeated and he was definitely rolling his eyes. “Headed to the lower floors. It just looks like empty offices, nothing I would expect of _Hydra._ ”

Bucky huffed, shifting his stance while Steve peered around the corner of yet the third empty hallway they’d come down. “Don’t be fooled,” Bucky said gruffly and Steve could only agree.

“Be on your guard, keep reporting back. You see _anything_ , you let us know,” Steve ordered.

“ _Copy-_ “ Came several replies and Steve breathed a little easier and adjusted his grip on the shield.

The comms were quiet for several agonizing minutes and then there was a flurry of communication on Tony and Sam’s end. “I’ve got movement,” Tony chimed in.

“Me too,” Sam muttered. “South entrance.”

“East,” Tony added and Steve shifted impatiently as they slipped into a stairwell and stilled, _listening._

“What kind of movement?” Steve demanded.

“Two groups of four, one’s armed, the other’s dressed-“ Tony paused. “White coats.”

“Six men here,” Sam muttered. “Full gear, nothing glowy.”

Steve huffed out a breath and Bucky shifted impatiently beside him. “Keep us posted. We’re moving down to the third floor. Thor?”

“I am remaining on the roof, Captain. Falcon and Iron Man are inside,” Thor assured and Steve murmured assent.

“We’re on the first sub-floor,” Natasha murmured. “Found a server room. It’s empty.”

Steve and Bucky slipped down the stairs, keeping to the shadows and out of sight of the security cameras. Of which, there were dozens. But if they were to cut them, it’d tip the bad guys off and they weren’t ready to start shooting yet. They needed more intel, really. But they couldn’t wait. It would be too dangerous to give them more time.

“Keep moving,” He whispered as he and Bucky slipped down to the next floor and carefully made their way out onto yet another empty floor.

There was silence again and then Bucky heard it, movement up ahead. Steve had stilled right when he had and neither moved as they listened to several sets of heavy footsteps at the other end of their floor. There were gruff voices but they couldn’t make out words, nor could they decipher how many people there might be.

“Iron Man?” Steve murmured into the comms.

“Haven’t found anything, I’ve been tracking the first group though. The white coats,” Tony explained and Bucky exhaled roughly.

Steve spared his husband a glance but the brunet was intensely focused on the end of the hall where he could now see shadows of movement coming from an open doorway. “Anything?”

“They’ve headed to the basement, I’m trying to get down there but-“

“I’m in the basement,” Peter interrupted and at the same time Clint muttered, “This whole place is a damned basement,” And well, he wasn’t _wrong;_ they were in a bunker after all.

Steve breathed out sharply through his nose. “Spider-Man, _report-_ “

“Three lab-techs are in the room I’m over,” He breathed. “I can’t see much, but they’re milling around a couple of computers. I’m trying to get a look at what’s on the screens but-“

Falcon cursed suddenly. “Those six guys are headed down. I’m following but they’re going to run right into you and Bucky, Cap.”

Bucky made a soft sound and Steve hummed an affirmative, both men already on the move towards the end of the hallway. “We’re engaging, hoping to incapacitate without too much noise, standby.”

The line went silent and then there was the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle, metal on metal and the heavy slump of bodies hitting the floor. It happened quickly and by the time the team of six was approaching their floor, the room was eerily silent once again.

“Diversion, we need to get out of this room before-“

“ _Explosion?_ ” Tony asked, sounding way too excited.

“ _No-_ “ Nearly _everyone_ said in unison; Steve was pretty sure _Bailey_ had said to too.

“Just a little one?” Tony asked, tone still hopeful.

“ _No_ -“ Steve hissed.

“Okay, fine. I’ll take out their security system then, then we can all stop hiding,” Tony muttered and Steve breathed out slowly.

“Do it.”

As far as the Team could tell, nothing much happened. Other than the little lights on all the security cameras stopped their incessant blinking, just as Peter finally got a look at the screen the three lab techs had been watching.

“ _Cap-_ “ Peter suddenly breathed.

“What’s wrong, Spider Man?” Steve demanded, Bucky flicking off the light to the office they were in and pressing his back to the wall next to the door, gun raised and ready as the door to the stairwell opened and trudging footsteps and gruff voices reached their ears.

“James was on the screen the lab techs were looking at. I’m taking them out-“

Steve inhaled sharply and before he could voice his objection, to demand more information out of them, the voices grew louder, _closer._ Within seconds the six men were nearing the doorway and Steve held his breath, hoping that they’d just continue on their way past and he and Bucky could either take them out one by one from the rear or let them pass by and deal with them later.

Neither option was possible when a moment later one of the Hydra goons stuck his head in, apparently looking for someone named _Chad._ Needless to say, Bucky put a bullet in his brain and of course, chaos ensued.

The sound of gunfire rang out over the comms and the cursing was sort of a given as the super soldiers worked to take out the unprepared team, unfortunately, they were heard pretty well from the _other side of the base_ thanks to one of the men who yelped into his walkie at about the same time Peter webbed the third lab tech to the far wall.

“I’m tracking the feed-“ Came Peter’s voice and Steve huffed, currently a little busy as he slammed the edge of his shield into one of the goons backs, sending him sprawling to the floor. “James looks okay, he’s in a room by himself.”

It didn’t take them long to knock the team down, but by then there were alarms going, the lights flicking off and the hallways illuminated with emergency lighting. “ _Fuck-_ “ Tony cursed over the comms. “They’ve initiated a lockdown-“

“I’ve got three teams incoming,” Falcon alerted. “Coming in from the South side, heavily armoured.”

“Cat’s out of the bag, I guess,” Natasha sighed. “Oh well, at least now we can get our hands dirty.”

“Like yours aren’t already filthy, sweetheart,” Clint chuckled and Steve barely managed to stop the roll of his eyes as he and Bucky headed for the stairs at a run.

There was a clear smirk in Natasha voice when she next murmured, “Like you don’t like it dirty now and again.”

Falcon, Tony _and_ Thor were snickering over the comm at that and Steve growled in annoyance. “ _Focus!_ ” He snapped and the others immediately smartened up.

“Spider Man, report-“ He demanded a moment later and Peter let out a huffing breath.

“J-just a sec-“ Peter replied, sounding a little breathless and Bucky cast his lover a curious look.

“ _Now-_ “ Steve demanded and Peter snorted.

“You’re not a patient man, are you, Sir,” Peter teased and yeah, okay, probably not the best time to tease Captain America.

“ _Peter-_ “ He hissed and yeah okay, Cap’s upset.

“I’m tracing the feed, I-I think I know where they’re keeping him but I can’t-I can hear them coming down the stairs and I-“

“Incoming-“ Tony informed him and Peter swore over the line as there was the unmistakable sound of a repulsor gearing up and the next thing he knew, Tony was blasting through the floor above him not ten feet away from where he’d been typing furiously at the computer console.

“ _Jesus Christ, Tony,_ ” Peter hissed, shooting him a meaningful glare, even through the mask.

“Sorry, not sorry,” Tony quipped and then blocked Peter easily, hands up and powering up as he pointed them at the doorway. “Trace the feed, I’ll take care of them.”

Peter hummed and quickly went back to work while the rest of the Team attempted to make their way lower into the base. It didn’t take long before Tony was firing and doing his best to fend off the sudden stream of agents as they emptied out onto their floor while Peter worked as quickly as possible.

“What’s taking so long?” Steve demanded, jumping the railing and landing swiftly at the next floor, Bucky close on his heels.

“There’s-there’s a lot of data here, Cap. I-I’m not sure what they were doing here, but there’s no way it was kosher, if you know what I mean,” Peter muttered and Steve made a soft noncommittal sound in the back of his throat.

“Widow?” He asked.

“Hawkeye and I are on the fourth sub-floor. There’s a lot of medical equipment down here, operating rooms-“

“Theatres, more like,” Clint muttered and Steve’s heart leapt into his throat.

“Any signs?” Steve asked, tone more urgent.

“Negative,” They both replied and Bucky huffed beside him, drawing the blond’s gaze for an instant.

“How many floors this place got, Cap?” Bucky asked shortly.

“16, 4 above ground, 12 below,” Steve replied dutifully, even knowing that Bucky already knew the answer.

“ _Right-_ “ Bucky muttered, shaking his head. “It’s a big place and there’s not a lot of time here, Stevie,” He murmured, voice quieter.

Steve just stared at him, caught off guard by his lover’s tone. He didn’t like it. “What are-“

“You know I can find him faster, Steve,” Bucky murmured and Steve couldn’t help notice that he’d flicked his comm link off. “I can get down there quick and-you and I both know he’s in the basement, pal-“

“I know-“ He said hastily, already having flicked off his own comm. “I know, but I can’t-“

“ _I can_ ,” Bucky assured and Steve took a shaky breath.

“You better come back to me, Buck. It’s-the alarms are going, you know it’s going to get-“

“I _know_ ,” Bucky stressed. “And I will,” He promised.

Steve stared at his lover, his friend, his husband and forced himself to nod. “I’ll be right behind you,” He promised. “Don’t stop and wait.”

Bucky nodded, short and sharp and then he was running. Steve took a breath and jumped into motion. First and foremost, he turned on his comm. “Bucky’s on the move, headed your way Widow,” He warned and Nat chimed back.

Steve headed after him, but Bucky was long since out of his sight and it didn’t help the tightness in his chest any. They had a job to do and Bucky was good at his. His comm link was muted, but at least Bucky could still hear them all.

.

Bucky just... _breathed._ This was familiar. He hadn’t called it, but he’d called it. Back in the conference room, they’d told him it was the bunker in Romania and memories had just _clicked_ back into place. He knew this place and he really didn’t like that he knew it, but knowledge is power and all that. He slipped through into the elevator shaft easily and once the tiles were shifted and he was up into the mechanics of the thing, he breathed a little easier.

It didn’t take him long to make his way down the next eight floors this way, even if it was more dangerous. He could hear the sounds of gunfire as they echoed on some of the higher floors and was relieved to hear Clint and Nat check in over the comms. The pair had gotten held up when they’d found a team of agents gearing up in the armoury and well, they were currently rather busy but had it handled. Sam was kicking ass somewhere and Peter and Tony were still keeping themselves busy in room where they’d seen James on the computer screen. They’d tracked James to the basement and told Bucky roughly where to look, but it wasn’t anything he didn’t already know. At least they’d managed to make sure that he was still in the building, at least.

Bucky slipped in through an access point on the 8th sub-floor through one of the air vents and quickly and quietly made his way deeper into the bunker. It didn’t take him long before he heard voices, thundering footsteps and muffled shouts and he was grateful that they were at least heading the other way. His main concern was whether or not they already had James with them and were attempting to evacuate him.

He watched through the vent as several agents ran down the hallway directly below him and he held his breath as two of the men at the back of the group slowed just a bit. “Where’s the Doc? I thought we were grabbing him, isn’t his room back that way?” One of the men asked.

“No, he’s gone after the kid with Quinn. They’re sending the rest of us up to deal with the trouble-“

Bucky unsheathed a knife, careful and quiet.

“Maybe we should head back, just to confirm, you know?”

The second man hesitated for a moment and then nodded and Bucky inwardly cursed both his good and bad luck. They could potentially lead him straight to James, but they’d also pose a problem once he got there. It didn’t take long to make up his mind once he saw them turning back around and heading the way he was already going, the rest of the group already through and into the stairwell. Decision made for him, he slipped silently from the next vent and cut their throats before either were able to utter a scream.

Their gurgling last breaths were lost to his ears as he darted down the dimly lit corridor and started peering into open doorways. He’d long passed the floors with operating rooms, white tiles and tables lined with only god knows what. This looked more like the concrete bunker he remembered. Bleak grey walls, thick as anything with old track lighting, the dull orange bulbs shining back at him every six feet. The floor was concrete and stained and dingy and-

This was definitely no place for a kid.

He inhaled slowly through his nose and followed the sound of angry whispering he could only just barely hear. He was sure it was coming from the end of the corridor, but the rooms here were all locked and while he didn’t have a problem breaking into them, he was pretty sure the voices would lead him straight to James.

He hoped they would, anyway.

“Did you hear that?” One of the voices, much clearer now and Bucky paused.

There was no way they heard him.

“Hear what? _Jesus_ , you’re jumpy. They’ve got it taken care of, you heard them-“

“No, no-there was a noise, didn’t you hear it, feel it? Sort of like a vibration?”

Bucky had felt it, sure it was just one of Tony’s repulsors, but then Thor chimed in over the line with, “There were several armed vehicles headed towards the bunker. They’ve been dealt with.”

Bucky couldn’t help the smirk. Fuckin’ Thor and his lightning.

There was more chatter over the line, Tony whooping and Steve annoyed but clearly happy that Thor took care of it.

Bucky took another slow breath and approached the open doorway, keeping out of sight until he heard, “Here, take the keys, let’s grab the kid and take the emergency elevator. I need to grab my notes.”

It was barely a second, the sound of keys rattling as the second person must have caught them in his hands and then Bucky watched as the man, a lab tech if the white coat was any indication, appeared in the doorway, turning around just in time to come face to face with the Winter Soldier.

Bucky didn’t give him any chance to react, barely saw the flash of recognition in his eyes before there was a sickening crunch as Bucky broke his neck, the heavy slump of his body hitting the floor before the sound of a bullet leaving the chamber echoed back from the nearly empty space.

The second tech dropped, yelping in pain as Bucky’s bullet shattered his kneecap. He went down and within an instant, Bucky was there with the barrel of his gun pressed to the man’s temple, the asshole hissing and clutching at his thigh above his wounded knee.

“Shut up-“ Bucky snapped, voice low. “Where are you keeping him?”

“H-he’s gone-“ The tech sputtered, shaking his head as he looked up at Bucky in wild-eyed panic.

“ _Bullshit_ , where is he?” Bucky demanded, shoving the gun against his temple and making the man flinch, tears already falling from his eyes.

“You won’t find him in time, they’ll stop you from leaving, there’s no way-“

“Wrong answer,” Bucky interrupted and put a bullet through his temple, already turning to flee the room.

He stepped over the body of the first tech and glanced down at the keys in his palm. He ignored them and kept going, heading down the dingy corridor to where he was sure James was being kept. It was quiet down here, eerily so. He could still make out the soft thuds of gun fire going off several floors above him, even the tell-tale sounds of Tony’s repulsor blasts could be heard from somewhere above him and at least that did something to settle him.

They were still chattering on through the comms and Bucky let himself listen, but didn’t focus on anything in particular they were saying, instead making sure he searched every locked and unlocked room. It wasn’t until he came to one particularly well structured door that he realized he’d probably just found James.

He pressed his ear against the door and listened intently, but he couldn’t make out any movement on the other side. He waited a beat and then there was the soft hitch of a breath, the sound of a muffled sob andhe was sure he’d found him.

Instead of breaking the door in as he’d intended, he stepped back and gripped the handle with his flesh hand before punching the keypad with his left. It crunched easily beneath his metal fist and it took little to no strength to shove the door open, breaking the handle and doorframe a bit in the process.

There was a terrified whimper and Bucky inwardly grimaced. He really didn’t want to frighten the boy. When he finally got a look around the room, he found it to be barely a room at all. The walls were concrete, drab and it was cold down here, terribly so and damp and when he finally caught sight of James-well, he hadn’t been quite prepared for what he saw.

The boy was-he looked- _just like Stevie._

Bucky exhaled roughly as the boy looked up at him from where he’d been hugging his knees tight to his chest, back pressed up against the cold concrete wall as he sat in the far corner of the tiny cell; and it was a cell. There was no furniture or anything to speak of in the room, just James...looking for all the world as if he were Steve Rogers from way back when.

Bucky was momentarily thrown, his brain trying to make sense with what he knew was real and an old memory of Steve sitting in much the same way on the stoop of his mother’s apartment building after he’d gotten pushed around at school. They’d been no older than James here himself. He exhaled slowly and forced himself to take another breath in as he crouched down in the doorway.

“Hey there, James,” He tried, watching as bright blue eyes peered back at him through those long lashes, clumped with tears, his cheeks stained with them and a blotchy pink.

James raised his head a little higher and blinked those big round eyes at him, shedding more tears as he tried to see Bucky more clearly. Bucky could practically _see_ the recognition as it came over the boy. “Y-you’re the-you’re the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky huffed softly and nodded. “That’s me, pal. But you can call me Bucky. Your mom sent us here to get you. I’m going to get you out of here, safe and sound, alright?”

The boys’ eyes were so round and Bucky couldn’t suppress a timid smile as he shifted forward onto his knees towards Bucky. “My _Mom_ sent you?”

“Of course she did,” Bucky consoled, reaching out to him with his flesh hand and the boy’s eyes only widened more. “She’s worried sick about you.”

“She’s going to be so mad at me,” James said and Bucky immediately shook his head.

“Oh no she isn’t, sweetheart. None of this is your fault, alright? Now, I need you to trust me and we’re going to get out of here just fine.”

The boy nodded and suddenly Bucky had an armful of the kid as he practically flung himself into his arms. Bucky recovered, a little breath leaving him in a soft _whoosh_ as the small bundle of energy wrapped his arms tightly around Bucky’s neck and clung to him for dear life.

“Okay,” James was shaking, no hint of hesitancy in his voice and not for the first time, did Bucky thank whoever happened to be listening about where his life had taken him.

“Alright,” Bucky murmured, pressing his cheek into James’ temple as he wrapped his flesh arm around the boy and drew him closer. “Hold on tight to me and keep your head down, okay?”

“Okay,” Came the muffled response and Bucky adjusted his grip again before reaching up to flick back on his comm. “I got him,” He said, a little breathlessly. “I have him.”

“ _Bucky-_ “ Came Steve’s stricken voice and Bucky breathed out a little roughly as he started for the door, gun already drawn and at the ready.

“He’s alright,” Bucky reassured, having glanced over the boy.

He didn’t appear to have any major injuries, but Bucky could see bruising on his forearms and a few scrapes over his cheeks. He looked tired and like he hadn’t eaten for a little while, but they didn’t have him long and he was okay, he would be okay. Bucky couldn’t bring himself to say any of that though, not wanting to get into it over the line where he knew Bailey would be listening.

“Oh thank God,” Came Steve’s breathless reply and Bucky shook his head, holding James a little tighter as he headed back down the corridor.

“I’m heading back up, how far are you?”

“Too far,” Steve replied, voice terse and Bucky could hear the unmistakable sound of his shield hitting something that definitely wasn’t drywall. “I’m trying to get to you, but there are more-more than we thought.”

Bucky’s brows pinched. He could fight, help, obviously he could, but with James in his arms, he didn’t want to even _attempt_ to get anywhere near the fighting.

“Iron Man and I are on our way,” Came Peter’s quick voice.

“We’re two floors above you, Cap,” Tony said brusquely. “I’m sending the kid to help you, Soldier.”

“ _No-_ “ Bucky said sharply. “Keep him there with you, get to Steve.”

“ _Hang on-_ “ Steve interrupted, still smashing his way through something as Bucky climbed the first set of stairs.

He couldn’t hear his Team fighting from where he was, despite being able to hear them over the comms and that was a little worrying. It didn’t take him long to climb the flight of stairs, nor did it take him long to head down the next empty hallway towards the elevator shaft he’d previously taken.

“Stay together,” Steve ordered and Peter and Tony reluctantly accepted the order. “We stay in our pairs. Iron Spider, start moving towards my location, Widow Hawk, meet up with Falcon and Thor to clear a path. Bucky-“

Bucky held his breath. “You get up here to me, right the fuck now and we’re getting out of here.”

“ _Copy_ -“ Bucky replied, voice tense and Steve breathed out a sharp _good_ before he was clearly too busy with whatever it was he was doing and they _all_ ignored Tony telling him he had to put at least a couple of dollars in the swear jar after today.

Bucky started up the elevator shaft.

James was still clinging to him tightly, face buried into the crook of his neck when Bucky told him to wrap his legs around his middle and close his eyes. He did it without a word of complaint and Bucky calmly told him that he needed his hands free to climb. He did make a soft noise of complaint at that and Bucky was only a little surprised when the boy’s grip tightened even further around him.

He pressed a soft kiss to the boy’s temple without thought and then he was climbing up the side of the shaft and _now_ he could hear the sounds of fighting several floors up, even if it was still distant.

It didn’t take him long to work his way up the elevator shaft, James clinging to him tightly and letting out soft squeaks every so often when Bucky jostled him a bit. But it was hard to avoid and it wasn’t until they were safely out of the shaft and making their way down a hallway that James relaxed minutely in his arms. Bucky’s flesh and blood arm was safely tucked beneath his bottom as he carried him, his metal hand gently cradling the back of his head, gun holstered for the time being and he _hoped_ James felt safe with him then.

“We’re almost there,” Bucky whispered to him and James made a soft whimpering sound and buried his face into the crook of his neck even further, whispering, “I want my mommy,” And Bucky’s heart broke.

Steve heard it. Heard the soft little voice over the comms, calling for his mommy and Steve saw red.

There was a grunt over the comm and then it went suddenly silent from Steve’s end, the steady clanging or thud of his shield that had been heard through the comms was just suddenly...not there. He’d muted his comm and Bucky’s heart rate ticked up a notch. Steve _never_ muted his comm. Bucky panicked.

“ _Steve,_ don’t you do anything stupid,” Bucky threatened, ignoring the wobble in his voice.

He knew Steve would be able to hear him, he’d only muted his end and that couldn’t bode well, not at all.

“I’ve got-“ Tony started, only to cut himself short and then Peter was exhaling harshly.

“We’ve got eyes on Cap,” Came Peter’s quiet voice and Bucky’s heart felt like it skipped a beat.

“How far are you?” Tony demanded. “There-there’s a clear path for the next two floors.”

“I can hear his shield,” Bucky admitted and he was jogging now, James making soft _oof_ sounds here and there.

And Bucky _could_ hear the sound of Steve’s shield, the steady _thud_ of it connecting with-connecting with _something._ He knew whatever he was about to walk into wasn’t going to be pretty.

Bucky could see the next stairwell, the door closed and the red emergency light behind it illuminating the space. “I’m at the stairwell,” He muttered and then shouldered his way through, bending and covering James with his body.

“A little faster, Soldier,” Came Natasha’s suddenly harried voice.

Bucky startled a little at the sound of her voice. She never sounded like that. “What’s wrong?” Tony demanded and then Clint was swearing colourfully.

Bucky was almost up the stairs, six more to climb and he’d be with Steve and the others. “There’s-there’s _bombs_ set everywhere-“ Clint said and he sounded panicky.

“ _What?!_ ” Came Tony’s voice. “There- _Jarvis_ -“ He snapped and Bucky’s heart was in overdrive now.

“Why didn’t we see them!?” Tony was yelling and Jarvis was doing his best to explain the situation, but Bucky wasn’t listening.

He threw open the door to the stairwell and he-he could see nothing but a sea of red. There were bodies littering the floor, _pieces_ of Hydra agents just...goddamn, _everywhere._ And there was Steve, breathing heavily and standing in the middle of it all, Tony and Peter on the other side of him staring at the blond in a mixture of terror and anxiousness...and then they saw Bucky.

“ _Steve-_ “ Bucky breathed.

The blond’s head snapped up and Bucky could see the tense lines of his body as his muscles bunched and flexed beneath the suit, the shield poised in front of him at the ready. He took in the sight of Bucky with James in his arms, holding him so protectively while the boy kept his face tucked against his neck and his shoulders sagged with relief.

And then the building shook.

Bucky could see the panic on their faces, on _Steve’s_ face as he watched Bucky’s legs begin to buckle. Only, it wasn’t Bucky’s legs. It was the floor.

He faltered and he could hear the others screaming in his ear, could see Steve’s scream of his name, even if he couldn’t hear it over the sounds of crumbling brick and mortar around him. James shouted and clung to him even harder and Bucky just-

He tried to get his footing, tried to jerk himself forward. It was the stairwell, the stairwell was collapsing and it was going to take them with it. He struggled and reached out with his metal hand, trying to grasp anything he possibly could. He’d lost sight of Steve and the others. Blind panic took over and he flung himself over the edge, praying it wouldn’t give beneath him too.

Something struck him in the side and Bucky grunted in pain. James was screaming in terror, his nails digging in hard at the edges of Bucky’s tac vest, beneath it to his shirt, his skin. He held the boy tighter and did the only thing he could when his knees touched solid ground. He curled over the boy and tucked his face against his chest, drawing his arms and legs in tight to better protect him.

“It’s okay,” Bucky found himself whispering. “It’s going to be okay. Just-just hold on,” He breathed, folding himself around the boy even tighter, blocking out anything that might hurt him.

The building was crumbling, walls giving way around them. They were still so far under ground, but-but they would be okay. They _had_ to be.

The explosion that hit the stairwell wasn’t the only one, clearly, but Bucky wasn’t aware of anything except the frantic breathing of the boy in his arms. He did his best to soothe him when the wheezing started and it was as if he was consoling Steve all over again, teaching the boy to breathe with him, running his hand down his back soothingly.

James struggled and Bucky couldn’t see anything, the light having died around them with the collapse, but he worried about the boy’s breathing. He wasn’t getting in enough air, the wheezing was proof of that. It was only a few minutes until the rumbling had stopped, the building having stopped moving, just the slight shift of rubble and dust as it settled and Bucky was shaking as he held on tighter.

He shuddered a little when he went to shift and pain rippled up his left leg and into his side, blinding and all-consuming heat flaring up from his ankle and across his shin. He tried to take a deeper breath and realized it fucking _hurt_ to do so. He tried to calm his own breathing, wanting James to mimic him, but found he couldn’t do anything but breathe short and sharp. It hurt so damn badly. He hadn’t been aware of being hurt aside from that first pain against his side, too focused on protecting James.

“S’gonna be okay, pal,” He gasped, pain flaring through his side as he tucked his head down lower.

He heard the soft whimper and felt those little hands try and clutch at his chest and Bucky’s heart _ached_. He tried to focus, lift his head a bit but his neck hurt and _shit_ , practically _everything_ hurt. He exhaled roughly and tried to tip his head a bit. His comm had come loose but he could hear the murmur of voices and knew it was probably stuck under the collar of his uniform. He hoped they could hear him.

“Guys, some help would be great right about now,” He said hoarsely in the general direction of the comm unit.

He barely got the words out before he heard the sound of rubble shifting and he braced himself for more debris to fall, maybe crush him. He exhaled roughly and blinked as something shifted above him and suddenly there was light.

“ _Bucky!_ ” That was Steve’s voice, _definitely_ Steve’s voice; panic stricken and worried.

“Here-“ He called back, voice still weak, barely a rumble and tried to worm his metal hand up through the space where the light had come through.

And then there was the sound of Tony’s armour and Peter’s concerned voice above them and there was a shift in the rubble and then the pieces of wall, ceiling and lord only knows what else, were lifted and shoved aside, giving them room.

Bucky inhaled deeply and then coughed violently when he got a lungful of dust and all kinds of other crap and amidst his incredibly painful coughing fit, he managed to wheeze out to James not to breathe too deeply.

“He’s got asthma,” Peter muttered worriedly and then Bucky was able to sit up and he was lifting James up through the gap they’d managed to create.

“Help him-get a hold of-“

“I got him,” Peter assured and Bucky felt James’ weight change in his arms as Peter hooked his hands under his armpits and lifted him up.

Bucky made a relieved sound deep in the back of his throat and then he was being helped to his feet. He choked back a hoarse cry as Steve and Tony righted him and got their first good look at him. “You’re bleeding,” Was the first thing out of Steve’s mouth and he sounded so far away.

Bucky shook his head, wondering if he had dust in his ears and tried to clear them by shoving a finger in there, wincing as the movement pulled on his ribs. “Busted a couple’a ribs, think uh- _no_ , I _know_ , my ankle is broken, definitely got a fractured tibia because _damn_ does that hurt like hell,” He muttered, glancing down to where his ankle and shin did not look at all okay, tac pants torn and covered in… _stuff._

“You said a bad word,” Came James’ soft voice and Bucky blinked owlishly over at the kid.

“ _Sorry-_ “ He immediately apologized, watching as the kid shared a little smile with him, despite the destruction, despite the pain, despite the whole _goddamn situation._

“S’okay, I won’t tell,” James whispered, like it was a secret and Bucky couldn’t stop the smile he wanted to sport.

He glanced over at Steve who was on his left, helping to prop him up and found the blond staring ahead at where Peter had James settled comfortably on his hip. “Thanks, pal,” Bucky breathed, ignoring the painful twinge to do so; not like he couldn’t _not_ _breathe_ , after all.

James’ gaze flickered towards Steve at his left and the kid smiled bashfully. “I can’t believe mom sent the Avengers to come get me,” He said, sounding for all the world as if he were in awe as his gaze flickered over to Tony in his suit and back to Steve and then to Peter who was still in his suit, mask still on.

“Course she did,” Steve said roughly, voice strangled and tight. “She loves you.”

He tried to clear his throat a bit and Bucky gave his waist a squeeze in support. “We’re going to get you out of here, James. Just-“

There was a crackling overhead suddenly and none of them could stop their flinch when Thor’s booming voice reverberated throughout the space and the ceiling to their right collapsed. Thor landed easily through the hole he’d created and smiled brightly at the group.

“Time to go!” He said cheerily and not for the first time, the others wanted to punch him and hug him in equal measure.

Peter let out a soft laugh, relieved and nervous all at once and Bucky’s shoulders sagged. They were going to be fine, everything was going to be just fine.

Tony shifted beside him and motioned towards Thor. “I can carry Bucko out of here, Cap. You want to grab the little guy?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, voice still tight and faraway and Bucky cast his husband a sidelong look.

He was staring at James and couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from him. Bucky got it. “Go on, Stevie,” He murmured, nudging him a bit as he shifted to put more of his weight on Tony, thankful for the strength of the suit.

Steve nodded, tearing his eyes away to look at Bucky nervously. “You sure? Peter’s got him, I can help you-“

“Tony’s got me, I’m good,” Bucky assured and Steve gave him a once over, shaking his head.

“Okay, so I’m not good, but I will be. Just a flesh wound-“

Steve rolled his eyes and Bucky counted it as a win. “You’re spending too much time with Tony,” Steve muttered, ignoring Tony’s amused huff, but he was already taking the few steps to where Peter was holding James.

He shared a nervous look with the kid and then turned his gaze to James who was looking up at him with bright eyes, still red-rimmed, his cheeks ruddy and covered in dirt. His whole _self_ covered in dirt and Steve knew they were all a mess, surely. He hoped he wouldn’t look too closely at Steve’s uniform just then and instead adjusted the shield a bit in his grasp.

“Hey, James,” He greeted, voice soft, but incredibly shaky.

“ _Wow-_ “ James breathed. “You’re my favourite Avenger, you know.”

Steve let out a bark of surprised laughter at that, surprised at himself and the response. “T-that’s uh-“ He shook his head, at a bit of a loss and he could see Peter grinning like an idiot even through the stupid mask. “Thank you, that’s real sweet of you. Do-do you think I could carry you out of here? I know your mom is worried sick about you and I’d like to get you to her real soon.”

The boy’s bright blue eyes widened and he nodded quickly, small hands already outstretched towards him and Steve practically stumbled forward in his haste to scoop him up into his arms. Peter let go as soon as James had his arms wrapped snugly around the blond’s neck and a careful arm wrapped beneath James’ bottom to support him. It was only second nature to pull the shield up to protect the boys back barely a second later.

“I miss my mom,” James admitted and Steve nodded, gently nudging the boy’s temple with his cheek, urging him to tuck his head down against his neck.

“I know you do, pal,” Steve told him, voice gentle. “She misses you too, believe me.”

James made a humming sound and Steve felt the boy’s arms tighten around him. “Come on,” Steve muttered, glancing towards the others. “Time to go.”

They were quiet as they headed out. Though Tony piped up several minutes later as they finally got out of the building and into the fresh open air. It was midday now, the sun high in the sky, the sounds of birds chirping and the soft wind coming in from the East keeping them cool. They were all a mess, sweaty and gross, covered in rather unmentionable fluids and then some. They stunk to high heaven, in other words and looked worse for wear to boot.

Steve decided it was high time to check in with the jet when they finally got clear of the building. It was taking everything Steve had not to just run back to where the jet would be waiting. But Bucky was injured and they were tired and he _really_ didn’t want Bucky out of his sight right now.

He glanced to his left where Tony and Sam were helping Bucky along, the brunet tense and sweating profusely under the strain of his injuries. He’d refused Tony flying him out of there, nor Sam or Thor’s help. He was such a stubborn shit and Steve would make sure he heard all about that later, when they weren’t within earshot of a 5 year old boy.

He glanced down at James, tucked safely against him, only to find the boy looking up at him with round eyes. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He asked, keeping his voice quiet.

James shifted, _squirmed_ more like in his arms and Steve quirked a little smile as he shifted to sit up better. “I’m okay,” James told him, blinking quickly and Steve barely resisted the urge to brush aside the longer pieces of his hair as they fell across his eyes.

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” He murmured, voice still soft.

James blinked wide doe-like eyes at him. “I didn’t like it. I-I was scared,” He admitted, looking down at the darkened star on Steve’s chest, one of his little fingers tracing along the design.

Steve’s heart clenched and he found himself tightening his gip on the boy. He exhaled shakily and nodded. “It’s okay,” Steve whispered. “We’ve got you, you’re safe and you’re going to see your mum real soon. It’s okay that you were scared, we all get scared sometimes.”

At that, James looked up at him, a frown marring his beautiful innocent face. “You don’t need to say that. I know _you_ don’t get scared of anything. You’re Captain America.”

Steve blinked away the sudden heat that had built behind his eyes. “That’s not true,” He said quickly. “Not at all. We _all_ get scared, even superheroes, even me.”

James blinked at him, the crease between his brows smoothing out a bit. “Really?”

Steve nodded and couldn’t resist pressing his lips to the side of his head, urging the boy to curl back into his neck where he wouldn’t see Steve’s lower lip wobble when he next spoke. “Really, pal and I gotta’ admit, I was absolutely _terrified_ when your mom told me what happened.”

James’ arms tightened around him and he made a soft sympathetic noise against his throat. “Don’t need to be scared anymore,” He whispered. “You found me, you saved me. My mom’s gonna’ be _so happy_ …after she’s mad at me first.”

Steve choked on his next breath and shook his head. “What? She’s not going to be _mad_ _at you_.”

James huffed softly and shook his head. “M’not s’posed to go with strangers.”

Steve shook his head. “You’re right, you’re not. But you knew the woman who took you, you thought she was taking you to your mom, didn’t you?”

James nodded and when he exhaled shakily against his neck, Steve’s brows pinched in concern. “She lied to me.”

“Oh _honey,_ ” Steve murmured, holding onto the boy tighter. “I know she did, she’s not-you won’t ever have to see her again. I’m taking you to your mom, _I swear_ -“

“Don’t swear! Captain America can’t swear-” James scolded, sounding scandalized and Steve barked out a watery laugh, completely oblivious to the others looking at them with hearts in their damn eyes.

“I won-t, _sorry-_ “ Steve quickly apologized, still laughing lightly as he shook his head. “You can call me Steve, you know…and h-how about a promise instead?”

“Okay,” James chuckled and Steve’s heart swelled when his arms tightened around his neck and he let out a deep sigh, content.

Steve couldn’t help himself, he glanced over at Bucky and found the brunet smiling-even if it was strained-at him. He smiled back.

It was only a couple of minutes later that Tony gave the order to land the jet and Steve could see it as they came through to the clearing they’d been dropped off at earlier that morning. The sound of the engines made James look up, twisting in his arms and Steve shouldered his shield with little effort as the jet touched down and the bay door raised, the ramp lowering.

The door had only just started to open, the ramp barely extending before Bailey was there, Bruce hanging back a couple of feet, waiting for the ramp to lower properly. Bailey had no such patience.

Bailey jumped the few feet to the forest floor and Steve’s heart leapt into his throat as she started flat out running towards them. Steve didn’t realize it for a moment, but he’d stopped walking, his steps faltered and James was quickly squirming in his arms as he caught sight of his mother.

“ _Mommy!_ ” He shouted and Steve quickly set him down, careful to make sure he’d got his balance.

He was all flailing limbs and wobbly legs as he rushed towards Bailey and Steve watched helplessly as Bailey dropped to her knees on the forest floor, James flinging himself into her waiting arms. She was crying, crying out her son’s name as she swept him in, pinned him tightly to her chest, hugging him tightly to her as she cried, as he cried.

“ _James! Oh God,_ I was so _worried!_ ” She breathed and James was already babbling as she shifted back onto her heels to better see him, now holding his cheeks in the palms of her hands as she pressed kiss after kiss to his dirtied face.

They were both crying, James trying to express himself, tell her how sorry he was for going with the daycare lady amidst his hiccupping sobs and frantic grabby-hands. Steve just watched, unable to do anything more and it wasn’t until the others had filtered in closer that he made himself move closer to the pair too.

Bailey looked up at him once James had settled a bit, both still crying, but no longer speaking to one another, simply holding on tightly to each other. She looked up at him and Steve’s heart skipped. “ _Thank you_ ,” She breathed, voice wrought with emotion, with relief. “Thank you so much.”

Steve wanted to shake his head, wanted to tell her that it wasn’t a big deal, that he was just doing his job, the same thing he told everyone else he’d saved. But it would have been a lie, would have been wrong and-

“ _Thank you-_ “ She said again, with so much feeling, Steve found himself blinking back tears of his own.

He nodded, unable to speak and forced himself to glance away when her gaze suddenly shifted to a spot beside him. Bucky was standing next to him and he immediately reached out to help support his lover, the brunet letting himself be drawn into Steve’s side. He nodded towards Bailey and Steve realized she’d been speaking to him.

“I’m fine,” Bucky was saying, breathing still strained and he turned at the sound of Bailey’s tight laughter.

“Yeah, _right,_ ” She muttered and Steve saw her give Bucky a careful once-over. “All the same…thank you.”

Bucky nodded tightly and forced his gaze back to Steve who was looking at him again with worry etched across his brow. “Can we go home now?” Came James’ soft voice, exhausted and wobbly and both Steve and Bucky looked to him with desperation in their gazes.

They watched as Bailey looked down at her son and brushed some of his hair back from his eyes. “Yeah, honey. W-we can go home,” She murmured, pressing a reassuring kiss to his forehead.

James practically melted in her arms and she got up on shaky legs, lifting him up easily, his little arms slipping around her neck as she slipped one arm beneath his bottom and placed the other hand at the back of his head, cradling him against her throat. Without another word, she started back towards the jet and the others followed.

Steve helped Bucky along after he waved off assistance from Tony and Sam now that he had his husbands hands to aid him. Steve huffed and before Bucky could complain, he lifted the brunet effortlessly into a bridal carry, the man cursing and sputtering indignantly at being carried as such.

“Shut your yap,” Steve muttered, careful not to jostle him as he started up the ramp, ignoring Clint and Sam’s snicker ahead of them when they looked over their shoulders at the pair. “You want to go running headlong into danger and get hurt, you get to suffer the consequences.”

Bucky huffed in annoyance, but let himself settle into his husband’s arms a touch more. “You’re one to talk,” He said petulantly and Steve ignored the fact that he could practically _feel_ Bucky’s eye roll it was just that epic.

Once they were settled safely on the jet, already airborne- _thank God-_ Steve and Bruce tended to Bucky as best as they could, given the circumstances. He had two broken ribs that they could discern, a fractured tibia and his ankle was broken in two places. Overall, not good, but also, not terrible and despite the amount of pain he was in, he appeared to be in a good mood, smiling tiredly and joking lightly with Clint and Sam.

The jet was pretty quiet on the way back to the compound. They were all tired, hungry and a little cranky, but overall in good spirits. Nat and Steve had busied themselves with touching base with Fury, giving him a quick rundown of the situation, though Steve was perhaps a little more brusque with the man than usual. Fury didn’t comment and it was only after Steve left the conversation that he asked to check in with James and Bailey.

Natasha declined, letting him know that she’d talk to Bailey tomorrow and make sure she reached out to him then. She assured him that they were alright and that they’d be staying at the compound for a while while they sorted things out. He agreed that was the best course of action and said that he’d do anything to help if they needed it and with that the call ended.

Steve was seated next to Bucky just keeping an eye on him as he rested, not sleeping or anything, just resting. Sam and Clint had given them some space not long after and a comfortable quiet fell over the jet. Steve let his eyes wander around to take in his friends, his Team. Thor and Bruce with their shoulders together as they dozed, Sam and Clint up at the helm together chatting idly, Natasha curled up a few seats over from where Peter and Tony were seated together, the kid’s feet in Tony’s lap as he dozed back against the seats, sprawled out.

He huffed softly, impressed that Peter could literally sleep anywhere. His gaze caught on Tony’s hand where it curled over Peter’s ankle and he watched as the older man rubbed gentle circles over the jut of his ankle. Steve’s gaze snapped up to Tony’s face, but thankfully the man’s eyes were elsewhere, on Peter in fact. He hadn’t taken off his mask, afraid that James might not understand right now, but he did have the mask rolled up over his nose and Steve could see his lips parted in sleep, heard the soft half-snore he let out.

Steve tried not to smile and quickly turned his head away, grateful Tony hadn’t seen him staring at the genius’ fond smile and ended up with his gaze caught on where Bailey was still holding James in her lap. The boy was sitting in her lap, legs on either side of her waist, arms wrapped around her neck and cheek pressed against the side of her throat. He was deep in sleep, his bright blue Avengers blanket draped over his shoulders and tucked under him.

He smiled softly at them and his gaze flickered up to find that Bailey no longer had her head tipped back against the headrest of her seat, but rather, she was looking straight at him with an indecipherable look upon her pretty face.

Steve stilled and found he couldn’t look away. She didn’t say anything, didn’t move, merely _looked_ at him and Steve felt a warmth spread across his cheeks. And then Bucky shifted beside him and he broke their staring contest to look down at his husband in concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“J-just got a crick in my neck,” Bucky huffed from his spot sprawled out on the cot.

Steve hummed and shifted to stand, moving to adjust the small pillow under his neck to make him more comfortable. While he was doing so, he failed to notice that Bailey had gotten up and was heading their way. Bucky made a curious sound and Steve pulled back from essentially fluffing his pillow to find Bailey hovering a couple feet away from them, James still cradled carefully in her arms.

Steve exhaled shakily as he watched her gaze flit from him to Bucky and back again. “Everything alright?” Bucky managed to ask and Steve felt like a total heel.

Bailey nodded, her gaze now pinned on Bucky. “Y-yes, thank you. I just-wanted to check in on you. I heard Tony saying that you’d broken your ankle…and um, hurt your ribs…your shin too.”

She winced and Bucky let out a soft huff. “I’ll be fine, I heal fast.”

And it wasn’t a lie. He’d be right as rain in a few days, he could already feel his body at work to heal what had been broken. He was starving and tired though and he knew the second he managed to inhale enough calories, he’d pass out while his body worked to heal him even faster.

Bailey huffed softly, carefully adjusting the blanket over James as she stepped in a little closer to the pair. “That’s not really the point, Bucky,” She sighed and Steve’s lips quirked in a little half-smile.

Bucky raised an eyebrow at her. “What is the point then?”

Bailey stilled, her gaze having returned to settle on him. Bucky let her have a moment and was a little uncertain when he watched her gaze slide along his body before returning to settle on his face. “I’m sorry you were hurt…but thank you for getting James back to m- _us,_ ” She swallowed hard and stepped in closer to him and Bucky blinked in surprise when she reached out and gently placed a hand over his good shoulder, her fingers curling around him and giving him a gentle squeeze.

He shivered out a breath at her gentle touch, her soft words and found himself nodding. “It wasn’t-I didn’t-“

“Don’t lie,” She admonished, tone gentle. “James told me you found him, how you saved him,” She shook her head and let out a shaky breath. “I heard you on the comms, heard Steve too,” She explained, her dark eyes flitting over to the blond for a beat before settling back on Bucky. “I know I have _all_ of you to thank for getting him back safe and I am so thankful, so, _so_ grateful…so I’m saying thank you to you right now, Bucky.”

Bucky exhaled shakily and found himself unable to say anything more so he simply nodded, throat suddenly tight. He forced himself to look away, but found his gaze settled on where James was sleeping in his mother’s arms and his heart melted at the sight of him looking so peaceful in sleep.

Steve shifted beside him as the warmth of her hand left his shoulder and Bucky’s gaze flickered towards where his husband was walking around the cot he was stretched out on towards Bailey. She looked up at him as he got closer and she swallowed thickly as he reached out. Bucky watched, couldn’t bring himself _not_ to, as Steve reached out and gently brushed his fingertips over the boy’s blond hair before cupping the back of his head gently and leaning in to press a gentle kiss to James’ upturned cheek.

When Steve pulled back, whispering, “I’m glad he’s safe,” His gaze lowered, Bucky was struck by the look of sheer _longing_ that took over Bailey’s face then.

She watched as Steve turned away a moment later and headed towards the bathrooms, but she didn’t seem to realize what kind of look she had on her face because she didn’t try to hide it. It wasn’t until Steve was out of sight that she seemed to realize what she was doing and she glanced back to Bucky to find the brunet’s gaze lowered to where James’ little hand was clutching at the end of the long ponytail she’d put her hair up in. Bucky didn’t say anything else and she wondered if he’d seen, wondered if she’d given away too much.

_Christ_ , of _fucking_ ** _course_** she’d given away too much. She shook her head, letting out a shaky breath as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry,” She whispered, voice broken and Bucky’s gaze instantly leapt up to her face.

His brows pinched in concern and without thinking, he reached out to brush the backs of his knuckles against her hand. “Hey, _no,_ you don’t have to apologize-“

“Of _course_ I do,” She choked and then Bucky watched as she struggled to get a hold of herself, her emotions.

Bucky shook his head and pushed himself up onto his elbows, ignoring the screaming pain it prompted in his ribs, along with the cold sweat that broke out across his brow as he attempted to lean closer to her.

“ _Hey-_ “ He said firmly, voice still low despite his tone.

Her gaze snapped back to him and he watched as she bit into her cheek in an attempt not to make any noise or worse, let her lower lip wobble.

“You have _nothing_ to be sorry for, Bailey. Absolutely _nothing_ ,” He stressed and watched as she blinked back tears.

He reached out to her then with his right hand and tugged lightly on her wrist, forcing her to come closer to him. She let herself be pulled and Bucky could smack himself, she was shaking so terribly and he hadn’t _noticed._

“Y-yes I do,” She managed to get out.

“You don’t,” He said firmly, shaking his head. “If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that Steve Rogers is impossible _not_ to love, so I get it, alright? You fell in love with him and then he left and there is no amount of _getting over_ someone like him, _trust me_ , I get it.”

Bailey blinked hastily, tears falling and she could do nothing to wipe them away while Bucky had her wrist caught lightly in his grasp. She shook her head, wanting to argue, to say something, tell him she would never do anything to get in the way, but Bucky was already shaking his head and giving her a sympathetic smile.

“I know you didn’t plan for things to go the way they did, but they happened. The universe is a strange and wonderfully terrible place and things _happen_ ,” He shook his head. “I’d like to believe things happen for a reason, doll. I really do.”

Bailey’s lower lip quivered and she nodded, pressing her cheek against James’ hair and breathing in the scent of him. “I’m not mad,” Bucky murmured. “Never could be mad for somethin’ like this. You met him, I wasn’t even _alive_ and you-you fell in love with Steve Rogers, I’m really not surprised. He’s amazing, he’s also a right jerk, but he is pretty wonderful.”

Bailey let out a watery laugh at that and Bucky shared a soft smile with her. “I know you don’t want to get between us, sweetheart. That’s not what this is about, _hell_ , of course I know that’s not what this is about.”

She nodded, brows pinching up. “I would never try and get in the way of what you two have, Bucky, you have to believe me.”

Bucky huffed softly. “I _do_ believe you,” He stressed seriously and watched as her shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Which is why I’m not mad and also why I would like for you to stick around.”

Bailey blinked at him in confusion. “What?”

Bucky smiled a little crookedly at her then. “I would like for you to stick around,” He repeated gently. “I know Steve cares about you and for you to make such an impression on him? I know you’re special, I do. And this little guy?” He smiled a little wider, letting his hand slip from her wrist to brush the boy’s ankle. “I know he’s your world and I know he’s special because you and Steve made him. Steve, he’s always wanted to be a dad and I’ve always loved kids, it’d crush him not to get to know his boy,” Bucky murmured, voice low, soft.

“I want him to,” She breathed, adjusting her grip lightly on James. “I want Steve to get to know him, I-I really want to tell James about his dad and I do, sometimes. Just-I-“ She shook her head, frustrated. “I talk about his dad all the time to him, just-“

“Not in the way you quite want to,” Bucky filled in when she failed to finish her thought.

She nodded, brow pinched up again. “I’m scared though.”

Bucky’s expression fell. “Why?”

“Because-because I can’t just turn off my feelings, Bucky. I’m sorry, I truly am, I don’t-I don’t think I can be around him and… _hide_ my feelings for him. I haven’t stopped l-“ She choked on the words and Bucky reached out to her but she stepped away out of his reach.

“You haven’t stopped loving him,” Bucky filled in quietly for her.

She nodded, lower lip trembling terribly, tears falling, never having really stopped. “I’m sorry,” She apologized, voice hoarse. “But if James is going to be a part of his life, I don’t think I can be too.”

“No,” Bucky said, shifting and wincing at the pain that brought him.

Bailey took a nervous step towards him and urged him to lay back down with a gentle hand to his shoulder. “You should be resting,” She said, a little frustrated, a lot annoyed.

“I’m fine,” He said automatically and she huffed, shaking her head, but didn’t pull away.

“You’re not fine and I’d say it’s cute that you keep saying it, but it’s really just irritating,” She sighed and Bucky grinned a little rakishly up at her.

“Yeah, no wonder Stevie fell for you,” He muttered and she blinked, entirely caught off guard.

Bailey shook her head slowly, huffing out some semblance of a laugh. “You’re delirious,” She sighed and Bucky watched as she turned to walk away and realized he really didn’t want her to.

“And you’re crazy if you think Steve and I won’t fight to keep you around.”

She stilled, half turned away from him and he could see how she bit the inside of her cheek against whatever she wanted to say. He didn’t like that.

“He will want you to be there, Bailey,” Bucky insisted, ignoring the shake of her head. “ _I_ want you to be there.”

She exhaled shakily. “You don’t even know me.”

“But I want to,” He admitted, no hesitance whatsoever.

She turned more then and Bucky could see her looking at him out of the corner of her eye, her gaze sweeping along his side and down to where his broken ankle was propped up and bound. There was a pinched expression on her face, he knew, the corner of her left eye crinkled with uncertainty. She didn’t move for a moment and Bucky wondered if he should say something more, something else to reassure her, but he didn’t get the chance to.

She went back to her seat, resettling herself and adjusting James’ blanket around his shoulders and Bucky watched her all the while. When she finally looked up from her fussing, she locked eyes with him and blew out a slow breath and nodded once.

Bucky would totally count that as a win.


	7. Chapter 7

Several hours later they’d finally made it back to the compound and while some had managed to sleep on the jet, it certainly hadn’t been all, nor near enough of it. Bailey hadn’t relinquished her hold on James in all that time, merely shifting his position on her lap and in her arms while he slept and he did sleep. More like a log than usual, even.

She’d noticed the bruising on his arms and had gently trailed light fingertips over the abrasions with a frown marring her features all the while. She could see more bruises on the sides of his face, along his jaw, with numerous scratches and cuts on his cheeks and forearms. She dreaded to think how many more bruises or cuts she was going to find once she finally got him into a bath. He always did bruise like a peach. Even a little stumble into the coffee table would have his skin purple and yellow within the hour. Poor thing.

 _Oh,_ and a _bath._ She sighed, long and drawn out as she cradled James to her neck and pressed a kiss to his matted and dusty hair, unfortunately or fortunately, drawing Steve’s attention.

The blond gave her a curious look and she huffed, realizing he’d heard her. “I’m just daydreaming, is all.”

“About?”

Bailey sighed again and it only made Steve’s brows rise higher at the wistfulness behind it as they started down the jet’s ramp, some of the others already ahead of them while Steve and Tony helped carry Bucky down together.

“About giving James a bath, about _taking_ a bath myself,” She chuckled, shaking her head and sighing again.

Steve smiled gently and nodded. “Pretty sure we all need a bath at this point. We’ll get you settled in our apartment and you can both get cleaned up and have a proper sleep. It’s late, after all.”

Bailey blinked, apparently having a bit of trouble comprehending something. Her brows furrowed slightly. “But I thought we were going home?”

Steve blinked, about to say something along the lines of, _oh hell no_ , when Tony and Bucky pretty well beat him to it. “ _Yeah_ , how about no,” Tony chimed in, Bucky huffing and shaking his head in agreement, tired as he was.

“You’re not going home, Bailey. It’s far too dangerous, we have no idea what other Hydra operatives might be looking for you both-“ Bucky started.

“And we promised to keep you both safe,” Steve explained, interrupting. “Unless you want the whole of the Avengers sleeping on every piece of furniture you own, you’re not getting rid of us that quickly.”

Bailey’s lips parted…then closed…then parted again. There was an adorable tired little furrow between her brows that Steve wanted to kiss away and he cleared his throat when he realized that she was looking at him a little oddly. He briefly wondered if he’d a) said that out loud or b) let a little more of that longing seep into his eyes instead of keeping it bottled inside like he should. Either way, neither were good right this second.

“Okay,” She said simply, giving her head a light shake as she turned back to where Peter was hovering in the door, phone in his hand.

He waved the screen at her and huffed. “MJ’s here, she brought Jack.”

Bailey let out a shaky breath. “That’s-that’s good, I’m sure she was worried. I left in such a hurry.”

“I’m sure she understands,” Peter consoled, leading the way through the compound, his mask still rolled up over his nose and she didn’t bother to worry that perhaps MJ didn’t know he was Spider Man, knowing Peter had probably been unable to hide such a thing from the girl.

Bailey nodded and continued to follow along, _trudge_ along more like and it wasn’t long before she was being led through a set of doors and then they were back on the common room floor and-and there was MJ sitting in the living room with Jack curled up at her feet. The pup’s head raised at their collective entrance and Bailey let out a relieved sound at seeing them both.

“ _Bailey,_ ” Michelle said, clearly relieved as she dropped the StarkPad she’d been playing with on the sofa before she started towards the older woman, Jack already up and rushing around the coffee table towards her owner.

“ _Michelle_ ,” Bailey sighed, brows pinched as the young woman flung her arms around both her and James and gave her a fierce hug.

“I’m so glad you’re both alright,” She sighed, her shoulders slumping in barely contained relief and Bailey nodded, letting herself be hugged.

“We’re okay, James has a couple of bumps and bruises but he’s alright, he’ll be alright,” She tried to console, even if her voice shook at the words.

Michelle pulled back and gently caressed the back of James’ head, a frown on her young face as her gaze flickered over James’ small frame and then back up into Bailey’s face. She could see the strain in her features, the tightness around her eyes, the way she blinked a little too quickly, as if she were trying to hold back tears.

“Y-you should try and get some sleep,” Michelle tried, glancing to where Peter was shifting at her elbow and then to where Steve was leading Bucky into the kitchen, no doubt to sate their super soldier appetites, despite their exhaustion.

“I will,” She agreed, nodding tiredly and then Jack was booping his nose against her thigh and she huffed, looking down at the pup. “Thank you for taking care of Jack. _Hi bubby._ ”

“It was no trouble,” Michelle murmured, shaking her head as she watched the older woman try and pet Jack and juggle a sleeping Jame at the same time. “I locked up the store, made sure your apartment was locked too, took Jack to my place for a while and then Peter texted me.”

She glanced back to where Steve was handing Bucky a bottle of some sort of smoothie, his gaze flickering back to them more than a couple of times. She shook her head. “No wonder you don’t date,” She muttered, voice quiet, _hushed_. “Don’t think you could quite manage to top that,” She admitted, inclining her head towards the man.

Bailey let out a sort of strangled noise at that and Michelle couldn’t help smirking. It softened a moment later when James lifted his head a bit, making a sleepy noise as he tried to blink himself awake. “Mommy?”

“Yes, honey, we’re going to get cleaned up and then I’ll put you to bed, alright? You just relax, sweetheart, mommy will look after you,” She consoled, running a soothing hand along his back as she hummed quietly in his ear, pressing her cheek lightly against his.

He whined a bit and made another sleepy sound before tucking his face back against her shoulder and muttering a soft _ok_. Bailey’s heart ached at the sound of it and when she looked up, she found Michelle watching her with a pinched expression, before her gaze flickered to something over her shoulder. Before she had a moment to wonder what she was looking at, Steve cleared his throat slightly from behind her.

“I can show you up to your room, Bailey. Bucky has to go to medical and he insists he doesn’t need me there mother-henning him,” Steve offered, ducking his head a little. “Hi MJ.”

Bailey shifted to better see the blond and noticed the uncertain tenseness in his shoulders, probably expecting MJ to say something snarky or biting. But MJ merely sighed, the worried crinkle of her eyes softening slightly. “Hi, Captain Rogers, uh, Peter invited me.”

“Yeah, he uh-he told me. I’m glad you were there to help look after Jack.”

MJ nodded, glancing between Bailey and the blond. “It was no trouble.”

Steve’s gaze flickered down and they both watched as Jack, who had been sitting patiently at their feet, nose tucked up to butt against James’ foot as if to reassure himself that he was there, safe and sound, was now sitting and staring up at Steve, tongue lolling out and tail whipping back and forth against the floor.

Steve raised an eyebrow at the pup, a small smile breaking across his exhausted features before he was crouching down. It wasn’t a second before Jack was practically on top of him, Steve huffing an amused laugh as he pet the top of the pup’s head, nails scratching lightly behind his soft ears. Bailey smiled above him in amusement and they both watched as a light blush worked its way over the blond’s nose before he moved to stand.

“Missed you too, Jack,” He murmured softly, hand still petting lightly at the top of the pup’s head.

Bailey exhaled shakily from beside him at the display and he glanced to her curiously. “He missed you too.”

Steve blinked, caught off guard, because that didn’t sound like only Jack missed him…

“I’ll show you to your room,” He interrupted his own thoughts because that was a dangerous path to follow on a good day.

Bailey nodded, clearly relieved and whispered a quiet goodnight to MJ and it wasn’t long before the others had started heading off in different directions, Bucky promising to come up to the apartment once he’d been looked over, Sam agreeing to go with him in lieu of Steve.

Steve led them a couple of floors up with some of the others who hadn’t stayed behind to attempt to eat Tony out of house and home and they filtered out to their own apartments. Bailey followed quietly behind Steve as they continued on down a hallway, the rest of the little group having ducked into other various rooms she assumed were their apartments. She’d even seen MJ following Peter into one as well and figured that she would spend the night too.

Steve stopped at a doorway farther up and Bailey watched as he turned the handle and headed inside, a soft murmur to Jarvis to add Bailey and James to the apartments security list with special permissions. She didn’t bother to try and refute his order right then, too tired to do much more than follow him into the apartment. Besides, she still wasn’t entirely sure of _what_ Jarvis was. Best not to try and understand while she was too tired.

She’d barely taken three steps inside before she felt herself stumbling and it startled her so badly that she gasped, jostling James but then Steve’s strong arms were there, steady hands helping to keep her upright. “Easy, honey. You’re exhausted, here, I can take him for you-“

“No, I-I’ve got him. I want to put him in the bath and get him ready for bed,” She tried, reluctant to pull from his embrace, so warm and safe.

She blinked, looking up into his worried face and blew out a slow breath. “I’m fine, Steve. Really, I’ll be in bed soon enough.”

Steve nodded, hesitantly releasing her and then he led the way through their rather spacious living room to the hallway just off the kitchen she was sure she would kill for to have for herself. “I don’t have any clothes that will fit you or James, but Nat said she’d bring a couple of things by shortly, so if you want to get cleaned up, I can put the clothes on the dresser for you.”

She hummed in answer and he glanced to her as he led her into one of the bedrooms. “Guest room,” He explained as she glanced around the rather large space. “It’s all yours. There’s a bathroom through that door there and there’s a linen closet there too with fresh towels. Sheets were changed a couple of days ago and-“ He shook his head slightly and sighed. “Anything you need, just let me know or Jarvis, he can hear you, just can’t see you in the apartment. Alright?”

Bailey nodded, more on autopilot than she thought and hummed again, gaze straying from the huge bed in the middle of the room, to the desk, bookshelf, the oversized comfy chair and floor to ceiling windows, thankfully blacked out for the moment and then back towards the bathroom door.

“The kitchen is fully stocked, but I’ll bring you a couple things when I drop off the clothes so you don’t have to leave the room if you like. I-I’ll be just across the hall…but um…I’ll leave you to it,” Steve was saying and she blinked, gaze snapping back to him and making him pause.

When she didn’t immediately say anything, just continued to look at him, Steve nodded and went to let himself out, hand already on the door handle.

“Wait-“

He stilled, halfway out the door and into the hallway and he swallowed, bringing his gaze back up to hers.

“I wanted-wanted to say thank you, Steve. T-thank you for-for bring-bringing-“ Her voice faltered, hitched on nearly every word and Steve shook his head gently.

“Bailey…go get cleaned up, get changed and crawl into bed. I don’t need-“

He cut himself off when a moment later she was stepping into his space, one of her gentle hands pressing over his heart, palm flat. He wondered if she could feel it skipping a beat despite the layers. He could sure feel the warmth, he was certain. His eyes searched hers and he was certain she couldn’t bring herself to speak right then, so he shook his head and gently cupped his hand over her wrist, gaze flickering down to James sleeping peacefully between them, still cradled in his mothers arms.

“I know,” He said simply, giving her wrist a reassuring squeeze. “Now, go.”

She didn’t argue, merely held his gaze for another moment or three and then carefully pulled away from him and headed to the bathroom, Jack slipping quietly into the bedroom behind her.

Steve let himself out.

.

Bath time for James was quiet. So much quieter than usual and it rubbed Bailey entirely the wrong way. James had always loved bath time and yet…and yet right now he was barely managing to stay awake. Bailey had stripped out of the tac vest she’d been given, already having left the gun Bucky had lent her back with its owner as she ran a bath for James. She’d barely managed to wake James up enough to sit up on his own as she divested him of his dirtied clothes and it was disconcerting to say the least.

She’d shut off the taps and turned back to James to find him sleepy eyed and stare focused on her. She smiled gently and bent down to pull his socks off, lightly tickling the bottoms of his feet. He laughed tiredly and she smiled before reaching for him. He reached right back and soon she had him settled in the warm water of the bath, light scents of sage and lavender filling the space as she leaned over the side of the tub to bathe him.

She hummed softly under her breath as she dipped the washcloth into the bubbly water and drew it up over her son’s collarbones while she kept one warm hand on his back for support. He was eerily quiet while she bathed him and she found herself humming to fill the quiet, hoping it was comforting him more than it seemed to be working on her.

She couldn’t stop the way her eyes wandered over the bruises littering his body, being careful not to rub the cloth too hard over any of the scrapes and marks across his arms and cheek, thankful at least that the cuts were all superficial. She was frowning deeply as she got him clean and found herself startled when a wet little hand reached up and cupped her cheek. She blinked caught off guard and looked down to find James looking at her worriedly.

“Stop frowning, mommy. Your face will stay like that,” He mumbled and then both of his hands were cupping her cheeks and _squishing_ them.

She couldn’t stop the soft laugh from escaping her at that and she was rewarded for her efforts with atentative, albeit exhausted little smile from James. “I know, I’m sorry, honey. Don’t want mommy’s face to stay like that, do you?” She teased, pursing her lips and crossing her eyes.

James laughed and the sound tugged at her heart, making her lashes flutter and duck her head a little towards him. “ _No,_ ” He agreed quickly, drawing out the word. “I like mommy’s face happy.”

“I know, sweetheart,” She murmured, his hands slipping from her cheeks and leaving them wet with bath water. “We’re almost done and then I can put you to bed. Lean back and let me wash your hair, okay?”

He didn’t fuss and simply closed and then covered his eyes with his hands, letting her lean him back as she picked up the cup she’d found by the sink to wet his hair. It didn’t take long to work the shampoo into his baby-fine hair and then rinsing before adding just a quick dollop of conditioner for him before rinsing that too.

James was even _more_ sleepy as she towel dried him and she huffed in amusement as he fell forwards into her chest as she fluffed his hair with the towel. “You always like it when mommy plays with your hair, don’t you, my little darling?”

She didn’t really expect an answer and merely chuckled tiredly herself when he _hummed_ and let himself be moved. She carried him back into the bedroom and found a stack of clothes on the dresser along with a small plate of fruit and a couple of glasses of water. Relieved, she took a sip of water and managed to get James to drink some too and eat a couple of grapes even.

There were clothing items she knew she could get away with wearing, certainly, but the only thing she could find to fit him was a much smaller navy blue women’s t-shirt. He didn’t complain and she did her best to make sure he was comfortable before tucking him into the giant bed.

He was out before his head even hit the pillow, barely having let her finger comb his hair for more than a moment before he’d fallen asleep. She shook her head in amusement and sat at the edge of the bed to watch her son and was startled when Jack hopped up onto the bed beside them before curling up at James’ side. She let her eyes trail over her son’s face, lips parted slightly in sleep, those little freckles she loved so much covering the bridge of his nose and the tops of his cheeks.

Her gaze softened with even more adoration and she reached out to brush some of his still damp hair away from his eyes. He didn’t so much as twitch at the contact, not even when she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his temple, eyes drifting shut as she reassured herself that he was _here._

She knew she needed to shower, knew she needed to change out of her grubby clothes and maybe try and eat some more, drink some more water…instead she found herself staring at her son, watching him sleep, one of his little hands now buried in Jack’s fur now that he’d turned onto his side to curl around the pup.

She shook her head, wondering how long she’d sat there, unsure if it had been minutes or hours at this point. She looked down at where her hands had dropped to her lap and noticed they were trembling. She blinked and realized her entire _being_ was shaking. She exhaled slowly and carefully rose from the bed, picking up the plate of what was left of the fruit and now empty glass. She didn’t want to dwell on the fact that she was shaking so terribly that the plate wobbled in her grasp.

She’d heard Bucky come into the apartment while she’d been putting James to bed and she’d heard Steve and Bucky’s lowered voices as they came down the hallway, no doubt heading for their own bedroom to get some much needed sleep.

She tried to be quiet as she slipped from the room, pulling the door closed behind her while she balanced the half-empty plate and empty glass. She’d barely gotten the door closed, however, before her vision swam and she felt her breaths begin to start and stop in sharp bursts. She blinked past the sudden spots in her eyes and found herself _gasping,_ a sharp painful thing and then she was stumbling and-

“ _Bailey!_ ”

She was on the ground from one moment to the next and she choked on her next breath when she felt big, warm hands petting over her shoulders before one closed carefully around her right wrist. “Come on, Bailey. Calm down, breathe with me, honey,” Steve coaxed, breathing in loudly himself, nice and slow in hopes she would pick up on it enough to copy him.

His voice was soothing on her frayed nerves, but she couldn’t stop her next breath from being much more than a gasp. He did his best to power through though, soft and steady voice coaxing her to follow along and it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes before she was able to follow his each and every breath. Her eyes had closed at some point and it didn’t seem like a big deal to her until she felt a warm hand on her chin, tipping her head up.

“Can you look at me? Bailey, open your eyes, honey,” Steve was saying and she forced herself to blink, lashes feeling as if they were glued shut from-from _tears_.

When had she started crying, she wondered?

“There you are,” He sighed, bright blue gaze searching.

She felt the gentle sweep of his thumb along her chin and she blinked again and found herself sniffling. “S-sorry, I-“

“Don’t apologize,” He interrupted her, not harshly, but firm.

He shook his head and she nearly whimpered at the loss of warmth as he drew his hand back…until that is, she felt both of his hands cradling one of hers.

She flinched at the sudden shock of pain she felt, however. “ _Shit_ , sorry. You-you’ve cut open your hand, Bailey, when you dropped the glass,” He explained, turning her hand gently in his grasp to better look at it. “I pulled the glass out, but it’s still bleeding a bit. Can you-can you come with me into the bedroom? I’d like to clean it and bandage it up for you.”

Bailey was at a loss, blinking what she felt was rather stupidly as she looked up into his concerned face, expression tense and nervous, his bright eyes absolutely _filled_ with worry. “O-okay,” She found herself whispering and Steve nodded, clearly relieved.

He gently helped her to her feet, careful to avoid the mess of spilled fruit and broken glass. He just about lifted her over the mess, not that she was exactly focused enough to realize it at the time. He led her through a doorway and she instantly stilled, her injured hand still caught in his careful grasp, when she caught sight of Bucky lying awake in bed and _watching_ them with a very much worried expression of his own on his handsome face.

“I-I’m sorry I’ll-“ Bailey started to say, already attempting to pull away from the blond.

“What? Wait, you-“

“Bailey,” Came Bucky’s gruff voice and she instantly stilled, glancing nervously towards the brunet on the bed, half dressed and lying comfortably under the covers.

Bailey couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering over him. He was shirtless, after all, sheets draped around his middle where she could just make out the edge of a bandage. The lights were lower in here though there was enough light streaming from the open door to the bathroom to see everything rather clearly. He was watching her worriedly and she blinked, chest constricting as she watched him twist a little more onto his side, grimacing as he propped himself up on his metal elbow to better look at her.

“Let Steve clean that cut, yeah? He won’t let you alone otherwise and I know it’d make me feel better knowing you were in such good hands, alright?” Bucky told her, expression worried and earnest in equal measure.

Bailey swallowed hard and found herself nodding, Steve’s relieved sigh filling her ears. She turned her gaze away from Bucky wrapped up in the comfort of his own bed, in _their_ bed and she squashed the odd feeling of _that_ down and looked up at Steve. Steve, who was still clad in his tac pants, sans boots and shield, wearing a black t-shirt that looked as if it’d been glued to his every muscle with sweat. _Christ_ , but he hadn’t even managed to have a shower yet and she was about to voice her concerns when she caught sight of his expression once again.

“Alright,” She agreed, voice quiet as she lowered her gaze.

She didn’t let herself fight it as Steve led her over to a padded bench at the foot of their bed and she tried not to squirm uncomfortably. Sitting there somehow wasn’t all that much better than if he’d sat her at the edge of their bed. She forced down the sudden urge to laugh and tried to listen to Steve explaining that he was just going to get the first aid kid and to _stay there._

She stayed where he put her trying not to focus on the fact that she could practically _feel_ Bucky’s heavy gaze on her and didn’t have to wait long before Steve was back and _kneeling_ in front of her. She blinked and forced her gaze to the floor as he picked up the hand she’d had carefully settled in her lap, palm up. He made a soft noise in the back of his throat and she wholeheartedly tried not to look at him as he popped open the first aid kit on the bench beside her. She let him work, gently flushing out the cut with warm water before he cleaned it with a bit of alcohol, quietly murmuring an apology at the sting.

They were both quiet as he did what he could to bandage up the cut and she was thankful it wasn’t a deep cut by any means. Didn’t mean it didn’t hurt all the same. She frowned as he let his gaze linger on her hand and when she glanced down, she felt his thumb swipe gently over the skin of her bared wrist.

She shuddered.

“Sorry,” He apologized, telegraphing his movements as he released his grasp on her hand.

She drew her hand back, now carefully bandaged and let it fall to her lap as her gaze flickered back up to settle on his face. She found herself blinking back sudden tears at the worried look she found there. “Thank you,” She managed to get out, voice hoarse from disuse and crying.

She felt her cheeks flush at the sound of it and immediately looked away, embarrassed. “I-I should go and lie down,” She admitted, _beyond_ tired at this point.

Steve nodded, but made no move to stand or to help her up, merely continued to look at her, bright gaze searching and she just _knew_ he was going to say something, tell her he couldn’t do this, couldn’t have her here because he was so _angry_ with her for not telling him from the start and she found her eyes welling up with fresh tears before she could stop herself.

“ _Hey_ ,” He whispered, interrupting her awful thoughts and she couldn’t bear to look away from those startlingly bright eyes. “You’re alright, Bailey. Come on, let-let me help you to your room, I’ll bring you some water.”

She didn’t bother fighting him when he finally stood and coaxed her back across the hall. She vaguely heard Bucky murmuring a soft _good night, doll_ before she was being led into her room. She didn’t bother undressing and merely climbed into bed next to a still sleeping Jack and James and before long, Steve’s quiet murmur of _good night_ was reaching her ears as she fell into sleep, utterly oblivious to Steve’s steady gaze from the doorway.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small update. <3

Bailey woke up to the muted sound of laughter and she sighed, yawning tiredly as she rolled over, ready to call for James and tell him that it was too early to be up playing with his toys. When she rolled over, however, stretching gloriously and groaning softly, eyes fluttering open…she still when she took in the rest of the bed…the room. This was _not_ her own room.

She gasped, sitting up straight in an instant, eyes searching wildly around the space for James but he was no where in sight. She ripped the covers from her body and nearly tripped in her haste to get out of bed. She was running before she gave herself permission to do so. She flung open the bedroom door from its slight ajar position and booked it down the hallway and out into the living room.

Where she came to an abrupt stop when she finally laid frantic eyes on James sitting and laughing on the living room carpet with Jack licking at his cheek, skinny arms thrown tight around the pup’s neck. “ _James-_ “ She breathed, not registering that there were others in the room just then.

The boy looked up and Bailey’s heart felt as if it were seizing in her chest as he beamed so brightly at her. “ _Mommy,_ _look!_ ” He shouted, letting go of Jack as he gripped the hem of his blue t-shirt…with Captain America’s shield on it.

“ _Oh-_ “ Bailey said, surprised.

He was dressed properly in a t-shirt and comfortable looking pants, not quite pyjamas but definitely something that looked soft. He even had socks on…that had Iron Man helmets all over them…and come to think of it, the grey pants had little shields on the front pockets. _Oh God_ , but they’d decked him out in Avengers merchandise.

Bailey laughed, her shoulders slumping with deep seated relief as she took in the sight of her son, smiling and laughing and _oh_ the bags beneath his eyes were long gone. “T-those are really nice,” She found herself admitting, gaze finally straying from her son for a moment to find two pairs of eyes on her.

Bucky was smiling at her worriedly, stretched out over the length of the couch, leg propped up with a pillow and clad in comfortable looking grey sweats and a black t-shirt. He had a cast on his left leg and she could see some kind of bandage wrapped around his middle beneath the shirt that was probably to help keep his ribs in check. He looked a little tired, but he was smiling, so there was that.

And then there was Steve, Steve who was sitting in the oversized chair not far from James smiling nervously as he looked to her. He looked vaguely guilty but she couldn’t discern _why_. “G-good morning,” She finally managed and Steve’s gaze softened.

“Good morning, I’m sorry if you were worried, he came into the kitchen early this morning and uh…he said he wasn’t tired any more so…,” Steve explained, obviously worried.

Bailey’s shoulders sagged as she slipped down onto the floor beside James, the boy climbing eagerly into her lap and throwing his arms around her neck to hold on tight. Bailey held on just as tight. “No, that’s-t-thanks for looking after him, I hope he wasn’t any trouble.”

“None whatsoever,” Steve immediately informed and Bailey relaxed a fraction more. “Tony brought by some clothes for him, uh…most of it is Avengers merch, sorry…?”

Bailey laughed, shaking her head as she shifted James in her lap. “So no different from the majority of his clothes at home then.”

Steve smiled at her, head dipping as a light flush crept over his cheeks and Bailey tried to stop that awful clenching of her heartstrings but found it really was impossible to do so. She quickly cast her gaze to Bucky who was still smiling kindly at her.

“We made him breakfast, well, _Steve_ made him breakfast, I just made sure he ate it,” Bucky chuckled, glancing down at the boy in her arms.

“Oh?” She asked, turning her gaze down to James. “That was really nice, James. Did you say thank you for breakfast and for the new clothes?”

James squirmed around to look at them and then back to Bailey. “Yes, momma, I did and they told me I was _so polite_ ,” He said proudly and Bailey smiled, just as proud herself.

“What a good boy you’ve been. What did you have for breakfast? I bet you were hungry, huh, sweetheart?” She asked, stroking his cheek lightly and brushing his slightly too long floppy bangs from his face.

“ _Pancakes!_ ” He shouted, grabbing at her shoulders to pull himself up and she winced a little as he practically climbed her. “They had chocolate in them, mommy! _Chocolate._ ”

“Oh my,” She said, grinning as she looked to Steve and then Bucky to find them grinning just the same. “Well, weren’t you spoiled, little one,” She chuckled. “Guess they’ll have to figure out the hard way what sugar does to you first thing in the morning,” She teased and was pleased as punch when Bucky snickered and glanced to Steve.

“Told you not to give him chocolate,” Bucky singsonged and Bailey smirked, glancing to the blond.

Steve looked sheepish as he rubbed at the back of his neck, cheeks flushing a bit. “I just thought…well, what kind of kid _doesn’t_ like chocolate?”

Bailey laughed, shaking her head as she wrestled James from where he was trying to climb up onto her shoulders and pinned him on his back. He was giggling _before_ she’d even managed to start tickling his sides, his laughter bright and beautiful and filling every inch of the space around them.

“Mommy! _Mommy, stop!_ ” He laughed squirming and breathless with it and Bailey relented, laughing softly herself as she sat back on her heels.

He was breathing hard but still laughing, eyes bright and shimmering with mirth as he attempted to get to his feet. Bailey glanced up at Steve as the boy made a dash towards the blond and he opened his arms, letting out a soft _oomph_ of surprise as James launched himself bodily into him.

Steve caught him easily and lifted him up onto his knee and Bailey’s heart _swelled_ with affection as he smiled down at James, his bright blue eyes roving over the boys features with so much love and he’d only just _met_ him.

Bailey found tears gathering behind her eyes and she could do nothing to stop her lower lip from trembling as she averted her gaze. Unable to keep looking at the pair. She found herself glancing up, however, when Steve asked, “And what do you think you’re doing, pal? You think I’m going to save you from the tickle monster?”

And _oh_ , James’ eyes went wide. “You wouldn’t?!” He gasped, eyes so big and round and Steve looked at him a wholly too innocent smile on his face.

“I wouldn’t, what? Tickle you?” He asked and Bailey could see the blond’s hands shifting to hold the boy’s middle and in the next instant, while James was nodding frantically and Steve’s innocent smile morphed into a teasing gleam.

And then he lifted James up in a flash, his shirt rucking up under his armpits as Steve brought his belly to his lips and proceeded to blow the biggest raspberry on his little belly.

James positively _squealed_ in delight, squirming and laughing, absolutely _giddy_ and Bailey was smiling so big, she’d forgotten all about her tears as she watched the pair.

Bucky was laughing at the scene, a palm pressed over his mouth to cover his amusement but not the sound and Bailey found herself glancing to him with bright adoring eyes. Bucky glanced to her at about the same time and they held each others gazes for a moment before she lowered her gaze to where his metal hand was curled protectively around his ribs.

James had stopped squeaking, but only because Steve had relented when Jack had gotten involved, barking and huffing, practically _prancing_ around at their feet. But Bailey’s gaze was focused on Bucky for the moment.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him, voice quiet, concerned.

Bucky smiled at her, lowering his hand to his stomach. “I’m alright, not too bad this morning. Should be good as new in a couple of days, don’t worry,” He insisted, gaze softening as she started to worry her bottom lip.

“Bucky told me that we could play a game later, mom. Is that okay? I know we have to be careful cause he’s hurt, but I can be careful, I promise,” James had come over to her, Jack not getting pets from Steve and the boy free from the clutches of the tickle monster.

Bailey nodded, smiling at the adorable flush on his cheeks. “Of course, honey, I know you can be careful, but let’s wait and see about this game until a little later, okay? You looked like you were enjoying your colouring before I came in. Why don’t you work on that for a little?”

James nodded excitedly and rushed over to Bucky, careful to stop at the last moment from launching himself at the man. “ _Bucky, Bucky_ , mom says we can play later,” James told him happily and Bucky grinned at him, glancing over the boys shoulder at Bailey for a quick wink as he nodded and turned his attention back to the boy.

“That’s great, pal, I’m looking forward to it,” He insisted and James beamed at him.

“Kay…well, I’m gonna’ go back to my colouring, but I’ll come show you,” He announced and then promptly went to sit back on the floor where there were about three different colouring books, a sketchbook and just about a thousand markers, crayons and pencil crayons strewn about on the carpet.

Bailey tried not to grimace at the mess, quietly reminding him to put the caps back on all the markers before she glanced over to Steve to find the blond smiling fondly down at them both.

“I uh…had Jarvis gather a few supplies for us just in case he got bored. There’s a movie library too and I’m sure we can uh…well there’s lots of books in the library,” Steve explained, that sheepish expression returning to his face.

Bailey’s gaze softened and she nodded, glancing down at the pages James was busy filling. “Thank you, I mean it,” She breathed, glancing back up to him.

Steve shrugged gently smoothing his hands down his thighs as if to clear the nervous sweat building there. “It’s no trouble, Bailey. _Honestly_ ,” He reassured. “I-there’s more pancakes, if you’re hungry? I put them in the oven to keep warm and uh…I did give James some fruit too. I know chocolate probably wasn’t a good idea and I’m sorr-“

“ _Steve-_ “ Bailey interrupted, a timid smile on her face as she shook her head. “I wasn’t scolding you for giving him chocolate. I’d give him just about anything he asked for, so don’t sweat it.”

She bit her lower lip as his shoulders seemed to sag in relief. She shook her head. “You’re doing great,” She found herself whispering and Steve’s whole face went carefully blank before it practically _crumpled_.

He stood up abruptly and headed for the kitchen. “I-I’ll get those pancakes for you, there’s juice and coffee too and-“ He forced out a rough breath and Bailey’s heart clenched at the sound. “And some clothes were delivered for you as well, some toiletries and things. I’ll bring them to your room after breakfast.”

Bailey’s gaze flickered to Bucky as he shifted from his spot on the sofa. He’d been craning his neck tofollow Steve’s path into the kitchen and now she could see the adorably fond _smitten_ look on his handsome face.

 _I know how you feel,_ Bailey wanted to tell him but merely huffed instead.

“We don’t know how long you’re both going to have to stay with us,” Bucky admitted. “So we wanted to make sure you have everything you need. Uh…you may want to give us a small list because if _we_ don’t give a list to _Tony_ , he’s going to go overboard.”

Steve huffed a laugh in agreement and Bailey’s eyes widened. “He doesn’t need to-we don’t need mu-“

“ _Relax-_ “ Bucky consoled, a light twitch to his lips. “We want you to be comfortable here and Tony’s just…being Tony, I guess,” He huffed and Bailey shook her head incredulously. “You get used to it, trust me.”

Bailey sighed deeply and scrubbed a hand over her face. “Okay,” She said, making a face and Bucky smiled at her. “I do need to figure out what I’m going to do about the shop, though.”

Bucky hummed and glanced to Steve as the blond came back into the living room with a small tray with a plate stacked with a few pancakes with chocolate chips and even cut up bananas on the side. There was also a bowl of red grapes, clementines and apple slices piled high. A cup of orange juice and three cups of coffee beside it too. He set the tray down on the coffee table between Bucky and Bailey and they both eyed the setup with a look as if to say, _ooh, really laying it on thick there but I’m sill impressed so I’m gonna’ eat that._

Steve smiled sheepishly as Bucky winked at him and then he was clearing his throat as he picked up a coffee and handed it to Bucky before sitting down near Bucky’s head with a cup of his own. “ _Please_ , help yourself. I’m sure we can find a way to make sure the shop is taken care of. Maybe MJ could put up a notice for you or run it, i-if you’re comfortable with that, of course,” He urged, motioning towards Bailey as she sat up a little straighter to look at the offering.

She blushed lightly and picked up the fork and knife. The pancakes _did_ look good. “Yeah, I’ll-I’ll think about it, maybe talk to her a little later today…and thank you, Steve…this looks wonderful,” She admitted and he shrugged, hiding his embarrassed smile in his coffee cup with a mumble of, _it was no trouble._

They sat for a while in companionable quiet, James humming softly under his breath as he coloured, now lying on his belly on the carpet, tongue firmly caught between his teeth as he focused so intently on his work. Bailey really couldn’t help her fond smile as she watched him, carding a hand lightly through his blond locks as he kept at his task while she enjoyed her coffee.

It was so peaceful, just…sitting and doing nothing in quiet and Bailey tried not to fall into it, truly she did, but it was difficult when Steve moved around the space as if they belong there just as well. Bucky hadn’t moved much on the sofa but he busied himself glancing towards James on occasion or sipping at his coffee and nibbling on the fruit while Steve tidied up, fluffed his pillows and spread a blanket over his legs.

 _Oh_ , but Bailey could so get used to this and that was a dangerous thought to have.

She got to her feet, trying not to appear as if she were suddenly _fleeing_ and instead picked up the tray and the empty plate and cups to bring it to the kitchen, leaving the orange juice on the table for James to finish when he was thirsty.

“What are you doing?” Steve queried, suddenly just _there…_ blocking her path.

“I was just going to take this to the kitchen,” She told him, blinking in surprise as he took it carefully from her hands.

“No,” Steve huffed. “I’ve got it, thank you, but I’ve got it. Your hand must still be sore, don’t need you making it worse,” He told her, turning to take the tray into the kitchen himself.

Bailey blinked, startled. She’d forgotten all about the cut on her palm. She frowned, glancing down at the bandage nervously before letting it drop to her side. She’d look at it later. “You’ll have to let me check that later,” Steve called out from the kitchen and Bailey twitched.

“I’m sure it’s fine, Steve. I’ll check it myself later…I should-I should probably go have a shower,” She admitted, trying to distract him from the injury.

Steve huffed but didn’t say anything else about it. “Of course, there should be fresh towels in the bathroom and here, I’ll bring the bags in for you now.”

She’d barely digested the information before Steve was breezing past her to pick up the… _several_ bags set atop the kitchen table…and then just as quickly, he was headed down the hall to the bedroom. She huffed quietly and glanced towards Bucky who was snickering under his breath.

“What?”

Bucky merely shook his head. “Just…let him do this for a bit. I’ll try and talk to him to get him to settle…he’s in overprotective mode right now and…sorry about that.”

Bailey laughed lightly, shaking her head. “You can leave him be,” She shook her head, still smiling. “It’s fine, really. I get it, I guess. I’m just not used to-“ She shook her head again and let out a deep sigh, glancing towards James who was now talking to Jack and showing the dog what he’d been colouring.

“Not used to someone lookin’ after you,” Bucky finished, voice gentle and she swallowed hard, nodding before she could stop herself.

“He likes to provide for those he cares about and that includes you. Was somethin’ he couldn’t do way back when, struggled to do anything he considered meaningful to support us,” Bucky shrugged a bit and just barely managed not to wince at the movement. “Now he just tends to try and make up for it and I-well I’ve gotten him to stop being so pushy, most of the time but it’s probably going to take a while for things to settle between you two.”

Bailey looked over at them, a worried furrow between her brows. “But he doesn-“

She cut herself off before she could continue, Steve having come back into the living room. He stopped, just at the threshold, gaze flickering back and forth between Bucky and her and swallowing thickly, he cleared his throat. “I put the clothes and things on the bed for you. If-if you want to go shower now, I don’t mind watching him. I was going to see if he wanted to draw something instead of colour…or maybe put on a movie for him, if he’d like.”

He glanced over to James who was now in the process of trying to teach Jack how to colour, pushing a crayon beneath the dog’s paw and then dragging it over the paper. He was laughing at the terrible colouring job Jack was doing, but he was still apparently pleased and busy off in his own little world.

Bailey’s gaze softened as she watched Steve watching their son and she nodded. “Okay, um…thank you. I shouldn’t be long.”

Steve’s bright blue eyes darted back to hers. “ _Please_ , take as long as you like. There’s bath salts and uh…well there’s lots of things in the cupboards, so please use whatever you like and if you need anything, please just ask Jarvis.”

“The voice in the ceiling?” She chuckled, feeling a little nervous all of a sudden.

Steve and Bucky both chuckled softly. “Yeah, you’ll get used to him too,” Bucky consoled.

“He’s an artificial intelligence system and he’s really quite helpful, so don’t be afraid to talk to him. Whatever you speak to him about is confidential so you don’t have to worry about your privacy being breached and there’s no cameras in the bedrooms or bathrooms and we’ve disabled them in our apartment for now.”

Bailey nodded, swallowing hard at the information. An _A.I._ that was something. “Stark’s quite the genius,” She laughed and Steve smirked.

“Yeah, but he’s terrible with people so-“

Bucky swatted Steve’s thigh gently and the blond grinned. “He’s a really great guy and yeah, definitely a genius,” Steve agreed.

Bailey was smiling softly as she looked between the pair. “Okay, well I’ll go take a shower then,” She agreed, glancing over to James and calling to him. “Honey? Mommy’s going to go have a shower, you okay to stay here for a while?”

The boy looked up at her and nodded. “Yeah, mom. I’m having fun,” He grinned at her and his eyes crinkled up adorably. “Jack’s _awful_ at colouring. Do you think he’d be better at _drawing?_ ”

Bailey huffed in amusement and shook her head. “I don’t know, sweetheart. Why don’t you find out and tell me when I get back?”

James grinned and nodded, already reaching for the sketchbook Steve had given him. “Okay!”

Bailey smiled a little sheepishly and glanced up into Steve’s face, only to find him watching her instead of James with such a fond smile on his handsome face. She swallowed hard and quickly averted her gaze. “I won’t be long,” She insisted and then she was ducking off down the hall, Steve calling out quietly after her, “ _Take your time._ ”


	9. Chapter 9

Bailey did end up taking her time. She felt only a little guilty as she relaxed beneath the spray of the shower, the warmth settling her in a way she hadn’t felt since the morning of James’ kidnapping, before her whole world had been flipped on its head. She swallowed thickly, rinsing the suds from her hair before making her way out of the stall.

She took her time dressing, looking through what clothing Steve had brought for her. It was all new, though, she couldn’t help but note that all of the tags had been carefully removed and the items folded neatly in their shopping bags. She pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt, a little disconcerted by the fact that they fit her so well.

She frowned down at herself as she smoothed a hand over her stomach, flattening invisible creases in the fabric, gaze fixed firmly on her reflection in the mirror. Her dark hair was still wet and she couldn’t be bothered to do much about it, knowing it would settle in its usually waves on its own. She always had preferred to let it air dry.

She didn’t think she looked all that badly put together, but she did play with her hair a little, fixing her part and fluffing the wet strands lightly. Only, when she realized what she was doing, she stopped, hands falling loosely to her sides. “Who do you have to impress?” She mumbled in annoyance, frowning down at herself and stepping away from the mirror.

She went towards the bed and pulled up the covers, busying herself with putting it back to rights. It didn’t take her long and afterwards she sat down for a moment to just _think_. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She wanted to go back out there, she wanted to have James in her sights, but that would also mean that she’d be faced with Steve and Bucky as well.

She wasn’t entirely sure that she could take that right now.

Seeing Steve there with James, seeing the two of them sitting on the floor together, smiling and laughing, colouring…together, it was too much. Because it was too close to what she’d always wanted for her son. _Their_ son. How was she ever going to explain this to James? How could she possibly make this work? There wouldn’t be a happy ending for them, not one that involved the picture perfect family she’d always wanted. Because Steve was married, in love with someone that wasn’t her and he was _happy_ , so damn happy. Steve had always loved Bucky, she knew that when they’d slept together and she knew it thereafter. She just thought that she could somehow live beside his ghost, only...he wasn’t exactly a ghost anymore, now was he?

She cradled her face in her hands, her eyes falling shut as she breathed out harshly through her nose. Bucky was wonderful. Had _been_ wonderful to her from the moment they’d met. In all of the ways she had frantically thought about how her coming to them for help would go, she hadn’t expected any of it to be like this. Not even close.

He’d been the first to comfort her, to try and set her mind at ease and had continued to do so the entire time that they had worked to get James back to her. She shook her head, pushing out a slow breath. How Bucky could be okay with all of this was beyond her, regardless, she was grateful he hadn’t been angry with her, nor Steve.

He’d been nothing but kind, accepting, _helpful._ It was almost too much.

Though, she really shouldn’t have expected anything less from the man who Steve Rogers had chosen to spend the rest of his life with. The way Steve had spoken of Bucky to her all those years ago was telling enough. The man was good, down to his bones and marrow. What he’d been through-

She heaved in a deep breath and dropped her hands to the bed, pushing herself up to walk towards the door. She’d liked what she’d seen of Bucky so far and Steve was-she huffed-Steve was just, _Steve._ She’d not exactly stopped loving him after he’d broken if off. She wasn’t entirely sure _anyone_ could simply _stop loving_ Steve Rogers.

She wanted James to be among these people. This family Steve had certainly played a part in. She wanted James to have his father, wanted him to grow up _knowing_ his father, the real him. Not the one she had painted a pretty picture of in his little head. James deserved to know and she wasn’t sure she had it in her to drag this out. The sooner he knew, the better and then they could work through everything else, visitation rights most likely. She had no idea how that would go.

She rubbed at her brow as she stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door gently behind her. She somehow didn’t think that Steve would be the type of man to fight her for full custody, but it was a niggling thought she carried, all the way to the living room.

“ _Wow!_ ” James was shouting, voice full of wonder and happiness and Bailey felt her lips curve up into a small smile, slowing her steps so that she could listen for a moment longer without disturbing them.

“That’s so pretty! I didn’t know Captain America could draw!”

Steve laughed softly. “Well, I don’t know about Captain America, but I’m Steve Rogers and I _love_ to draw. I’ll even draw you, if you like.”

“ _Really?_ ” James laughed, clearly excited. “That would be fun, I can draw you too! Though, I don’t think mine will be as pretty as yours, but my Mom says that I’m getting better at it, just like my Daddy.”

Bailey’s heart felt as if it had _stopped_. Her feet felt as if they’d been cemented to the floor and she suddenly couldn’t bring herself to move.

“Your Daddy?” Bucky, that had been his voice and so soft, inquiring, gentle.

“ _Yeah,_ ” James agreed. “Mommy told me he’s a great artist. He even painted a real pretty painting for me in the book shop. I look at it every day, draw it too. Mine isn’t as good as his, but I’m getting better...I think.”

There was quiet again for a moment and Bailey willed her feet to move, but still she stayed rooted to the spot, just out of sight in the hallway.

“Does...does your Mum talk about your Daddy a lot?” Steve asked gently and Bailey’s throat clicked, suddenly bone dry.

“Yeah, she talks about him all the time,” James said flippantly and Bailey pressed a hand over her heart in an attempt to soothe its rapid beating.

“What does she say about him?” Bucky asked quietly.

“ _Well_ ,” James started and _oh God_ , he sounded like he was really gearing up for a speech. “She says he’s really strong, a soldier too. He saves people all the time, he’s very brave,” James admitted. “ _I_ could never do that, but I want to. I wish for it sometimes.”

Bailey’s heart _ached_ at the confession and she imagined theirs did too.

“I think you’re very brave,” Steve whispered.

“I agree,” Bucky announced. “You were so strong yesterday, James. I think you could be anything you put your mind to.”

James _hmphed._ “I want to be a firefighter, I think. That way, I can save people from fire and animals too. Rescuing kittens from trees sounds like so much fun and I _know_ I would have to be brave if I go on those ladders.”

“You’ve got a good heart,” Bucky told him and Bailey knew he was smiling by the sound of his voice.

“ _Thank you,_ ” James said primly. “My Mommy says that I have half my Daddy’s heart and half of Mommy’s and his eyes too. I do have her nose though,” And she could practically see him in her minds eye as he tapped his nose to show them.

Steve let out a soft breath. “You have your Mommy’s lips and your Daddy’s hair too.”

“I do?” James asked, curious. “How do you know?”

“J-just a guess, honey,” Steve murmured and Bailey couldn’t stand there any longer.

She forced her feet into action and made sure to make a little noise as she approached. When she came around the corner, she found James kneeling on a cushion, curled over the coffee table where he’d clearly been drawing, pencils and markers and crayons scattered everywhere. Steve was seated on the floor, kiddy-corner to James, turned towards him with his own pad of paper on the table in front of him. There was a pencil held loosely in his grasp and his eyes fell to hers the second she stepped into the room.

“Mommy!” James called excitedly turning to look over his shoulder at her when he realized Steve wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. “Come look at what Steve drew!”

She nodded, her feet already taking her towards them. She could feel Bucky’s eyes on her again and he hadn’t exactly moved much from his spot, just sitting up a bit more now with a couple of pillows behind his back. He had an open colouring book on his lap and a couple of crayons resting in a fold of the blanket draped over him.

“What did he draw, love?” She asked, voice nothing but a shaky whisper.

“He drew Jack, _look_ ,” James ordered, picking up a loose sheaf of paper and waving it frantically in front of him.

Bailey quirked a small smile and took the paper, letting her eyes trace over the smooth lines of pencil. It was Jack alright, all softly shaded edges, no colour, just different shades of grey and when she glanced over to where Jack was sleeping peacefully at the edge of their little gathering, she smiled. It was lovely. “This is lovely,” She murmured, glancing over at Steve.

He hadn’t taken his eyes from her.

“He said I can keep it too. I want to put it on the fridge, Mummy, can I?”

“Of course you can, honey. When we go home you can put it up on our fridge. But make sure to keep it safe until then. Did you say thank you?” She asked, handing the drawing back to James, who took it so carefully and reverently held it close to his chest, careful not to damage it.

He turned on his heel then and marched right up to Steve who momentarily startled, breaking his stare and looking to the boy now vying for his attention. “Thank you for the drawing, Steve.”

Steve’s lips quirked lightly and then a larger smile bloomed across his handsome face, his eyes crinkling with the force of it. “You’re very welcome, sweetheart and hey, why don’t we hang it up on the fridge in the kitchen for now, that way it stays safe. I know _I_ would like to put this one up too. It’s too awesome not to be displayed,” He told him, picking up the drawing James had been working on; a picture of what appeared to be the Winter Soldier and Captain America, shield and metal arm and all.

They looked like they were charging in to battle. It was messy and _very_ colourful, but it was beautiful and James had made it so of course Steve had fallen in love with it. Lord knows she had near on a hundred of James’ drawings scattered around their home...and the shop. All of which she loved and adored and couldn’t bare to part with.

“ _Really!?_ ” James practically squealed and they all winced a bit at the decibel.

“ _Inside voice,_ James,” She huffed and the boy clapped a hand over his mouth and muffled an apology therein.

Steve chuckled softly and smiled. “Want to come help me put it on the fridge?”

“Okay,” James was grinning as Steve rose from his seat, carrying James’ drawing.

He glanced to where Bucky had apparently been colouring, though, he’d stopped for the moment. “How about when Bucky’s done colouring the dinosaur, we can put his up on the fridge too?

Steve was teasing, but James honestly thought it was the best idea ever. “Okay!”

Bucky huffed, knocking his elbow lightly into Steve’s leg as he passed. “Don’t poke fun, drawing doesn’t come easy for me. I ain’t the artist in this relationship, pal.”

Steve chuckled softly under his breath and followed James into the kitchen. Bailey was left in the living room for the moment with Bucky and she glanced over at the brunet as he picked up one of the crayons and appeared to be gearing up to keep at it. Heaven forbid he disappoint James. He huffed softly and caught Bailey’s eyes, grinning wryly.

“Well, _I_ think your dinosaur looks lovely, Bucky,” Bailey told him and Bucky rolled his eyes, snickering softly as he started to colour.

“Yeah, yeah, I ain’t no Picasso, I know.”

Bailey huffed softly in amusement of her own and glanced down at the table still covered in crayons and paper. Her gaze snagged on the drawing pad Steve had open at his seat and she stilled. He’d been working on a drawing of her, just in profile. But it was undoubtedly her. She swallowed hard and quickly looked away from the half finished sketch, but not before Bucky had caught what she’d been looking at.

“You know, he doesn’t draw a lot these days. This is actually the first time I’ve seen him pull out a sketchbook in about six months,” Bucky offered casually and Bailey’s nervous gaze slid to him. “I’m glad James was able to get him interested in it again.”

Bailey swallowed hard and nodded, dark eyes flickering to where Steve and James were coming back towards them, her son looking up, _way up_ at the blond as they walked side by side. She smiled tentatively. “Me too.”

Bailey sat down on one of the oversized chairs and it barely took any time at all before James was picking up his drawing book and a fistful of markers before he was climbing into her lap and squirming around, generally just making himself at home. She only grunted and grimaced a little at the squirming-she was obviously used to it by now-and then he handed over his markers for her to hold.

Resigning herself to be his pen holder for the foreseeable future, she huffed and relaxed back into the cushions, gaze flickering up to find Steve smiling way too fondly across the table at her and Bucky grinning and watching the pair as well. She blew out a puff of air, ruffling James’ golden locks in the process.

“Can I get you anything?” Steve asked, voice quiet.

Bailey shook her head gently. “I’m really alright, thank you. You-you don’t have to stay if you have things you need to be doing. I’m sure James and I would be fine on our own if you’re busy.”

Steve shrugged lightly and jerked his head towards Bucky. “I’m on Bucky duty for a while-“

“Don’t you use me as an excuse,” Bucky warned. “I’m perfectly capable of getting up and getting myself sorted when I need to.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “And open your stitches up in the desperate search for more food? I don’t think so.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Fine, then go get me some grapes. Make yourself useful,” Bucky griped and Bailey couldn’t help laughing softly at the exchange.

Bucky grinned, right pleased with himself and then turned a stern look back on Steve. Steve merely shook his head, rolling his bright blue eyes, but, he was getting up. He sighed deeply as he headed for the kitchen. “Aye, aye, Captain,” He teased and Bucky huffed under his breath.

Bailey leaned over a bit in her chair and murmured something too quiet for Steve to hear now that he was in the kitchen, head buried in the refrigerator. Bucky was grinning by the time Bailey leaned back in her seat, trying, and failing, to suppress a smirk as Bucky called out to Steve.

“Make sure to peel them while you’re at it.”

Steve stilled and in the next moment something was pelting Bucky in the back of his head. He yelpedin surprise and Steve snickered. Bailey burst into laughter and it startled James, his bright blue eyes snapping up to see Steve coming towards them with a bowl of red grapes, one in his hand and looking as if he were ready to throw it.

“That hurt, you-“

“ _Ah-_ “ Steve interrupted. “Careful, Buck. There are little ears present.”

Steve winked at James and Bailey’s cheeks heated, smiling at the exchange as Bucky pouted, but didn’t curse him out like he clearly wanted to, and then; “ _Мудак._ ”

Steve’s grin was right pleased when he plonked the bowl down on Bucky’s chest unceremoniously and took up his seat, back on the floor. Bucky huffed, but picked up a grape, popping it into his mouth. “What’s that mean?” James asked, tone curious and Bucky smiled kindly at him.

“Nothing, sweetie,” Bailey chuckled and pressed a kiss to James’ temple, the boy quickly going back to his drawing.

“Sneaky, Bucky,” Bailey admitted, gaze narrowing playfully and the brunet laughed softly in response.

“ _Sorry_ , I didn’t meant to-“

“ _Relax,_ ” She consoled, amusement in her voice. “It was creative.”

Bucky grinned and threw her a wink and she desperately tried to ignore the way she could feel her cheeks warming as she averted her gaze. Steve huffed softly in his own amusement and glanced down at his sketchbook to the unfinished drawing of Bailey he’d started. He flipped to a blank page and picked up his pencil, gaze flickering over where she sat with James perched on her lap, drawing happily away. He put the pencil to the page not a moment later.

They sat in relative quiet after that, though they did turn on some music to fill the air around them. Bucky was helped up to the bathroom a couple of times and Bailey got up to help Steve prepare lunch at some point, much to his annoyance.

It was during that time that Steve and Bailey were left in the kitchen together, with James sitting lightly on the cushion at Bucky’s hip, carefully leaning in to him so as to not hurt his side as they played a game on the tablet in their hands. James was giggling, so whatever it was held his attention at the very least.

“I know you heard us, earlier,” Steve said quietly from where he was busy chopping up carrots at her elbow.

Bailey stilled, setting down the knife she’d been using to cut up broccoli. She inhaled slowly and nodded, turning to face him. She raised her eyes hesitantly to his and found those bright blue orbs focused intently on her. He didn’t look upset or hurt, he just looked...vulnerable.

“Thank you...for talking to him about me-“

“ _Steve-_ “ She tried to interrupt, but he shook his head, turning and scraping the last of the carrots into the pot of soup they’d started.

He turned back to her and wiped his hand on the tea towel hanging over the stove handle. “I’m serious, Bailey. You didn’t ever have to tell him about me. You could have told him I was dead, a terrible human being-“ He huffed, bowling over her protests. “You _could have_ ,” He said firmly. “But you didn’t.”

She fell quiet after that, merely staring up at him, clearly feeling uncertain. “You didn’t, because you’re you, Bailey. You’re kind and brilliant, loving and brave- _Christ-_ you’re so brave.”

“Steve,” She breathed, but seemed unable to say anything more.

He shook his head lightly, turning back to his task. “You raised your son-“

“ _Our_ son, Steve,” She murmured and Steve took a breath and exhaled shakily.

“You raised our son,” He corrected. “All by yourself. You were pregnant and alone, Peter said that you almost _died_ and I-I wasn’t-“

“ _Steve-_ “ She interrupted, her hands landing lightly on his biceps. “You were saving the world,” She breathed, shaking her head. “You were saving people who needed saving, protecting people who needed protecting. I won’t lie and say that it was easy, that I wasn’t terrified and that I didn’t feel alone, but I-“ She frowned shaking her head. “You were doing what you thought was right and I won’t ever fault you for it. I told you that day, I told you I would never hold it against you.”

“I don’t deserve that, Bailey. _Christ,_ you knew when I made that phone call-“ He shook his head, momentarily stunned by the knowledge. “I don’t deserve that, but I’ll do whatever I can to try and make this better somehow. I want to be there for you and James. I want to be a part of his life and yours,” He confessed.

Bailey blinked, tears rushing to the forefront of her vision. “I won’t fight you on custody, whatever you think is best-“

Steve frowned, brows creasing in concern. “Custody? Bailey, what?”

She shook her head. “If you want him to stay with you every other weekend or pick him up after daycare for the evening, anything you want, I won’t fight you on it.”

“ _Bailey_ ,” He murmured, her hands dropping from his arms.

He caught her elbows and grasped her forearms carefully, giving them a light squeeze. “I want you both to stay close, I want to see _both_ of you as much as humanly possible. Bailey, I don’t want partial custody or _God,_ full custody if that’s what you’re thinking. I want to do this _with_ you _,_ ” He stressed, his eyes searching hers with a desperate intensity, _willing_ her to understand.

She clearly didn’t.

She glanced towards the living room, gaze falling on Bucky where he had his arm lightly wrapped around James’ waist, keeping him from falling from the couch as the boy giggled and smiled, tapping furiously at the screen, Bucky smiling and watching him all the while.

“I don’t fit in here, Steve. You and I both know there can’t be a happy ending for my side of this. But I’ll be happy knowing that James got to know his father,” She confessed, shaking her head. “After lunch, I’m going to take a walk with James. I’m going to tell him who you are to him and we’ll see how he takes the news,” She gave him a crooked smile then. “I think he’ll be thrilled. He asks about his Dad all the time, wants to know everything about him.”

Steve shook his head, brows drawn together in concern, but Bailey continued. “He asks about why you can’t be there sometimes,” She admitted quietly.

Steve swallowed thickly. “What do you tell him?” He asked, voice hoarse and heart aching.

Bailey’s gaze softened then and she shifted on her feet. “I tell him that his Daddy is saving children, mothers and fathers. That his Daddy is so strong and brave and he fights for those who cannot fight for themselves,” She admitted, voice shaky, trembling. “I tell him that his Daddy loves him very much and would be so happy to know how strong and brave his son is. How kind and sweet, how loving he is.”

Steve swallowed past the awful lump in his throat and to his embarrassment, found tears gathering behind his eyes. He swiftly wiped at his cheeks, now damp with tears and Bailey smiled kindly at him, tears of her own wetting her soft skin. “Sometimes, I can’t answer his questions because while everything I’ve told him is true, I feel like a terrible mother, a liar because you didn’t know he even existed.”

“Bailey...”

“I’ve kept you only half a secret from him and I won’t let it go on for much longer. I know he’s young, but if he hates me for it-“

“There’s no way he would be even remotely angry with you,” Steve insisted. “That boy loves you, Bailey. _Christ_ , the way he looked at you yesterday at the jet- _today_ -while you sat in that chair and held his markers,” He shook his head, huffing softly. “He will love you more than he will ever be able to love me and that’s okay, because it’s you, Bailey. Everything you are, every drop of your blood is filled with kindness. He’ll forgive you because you’re his mother, sweetheart. He’ll love you ’til the day he dies.”

Bailey swiped at her tears ineffectually and both of Steve’s hands fell from her forearms. “Maybe,” She agreed reluctantly, turning back to try and finish up with the broccoli.

“There is no maybe, Bailey,” He murmured, voice soft but no less sure.

He let her turn back to her task, though he was slower to do so himself, instead allowing his gaze to linger on the woman at his side. He eventually managed to turn back to the soup they were making while Bailey went to put together a salad. When he turned to glance over his shoulder at Bucky and James sitting on the sofa together, the little giggle and deep rumbling laughter coming from the pair warmed his heart.

He wanted this, _always._ He inhaled shakily and looked over to where Bailey had finished putting together the salad, noting the new bandage wrapped over her palm. He hoped she wasn’t injuring it further. Breathing deeply, he stepped towards her and she was either ignoring his sudden closeness or simply couldn’t bare to acknowledge it. With a shaky hand, he pressed it to her lower back, hoping to press some of his comforting warmth through to her.

She stilled at his touch, but didn’t raise her eyes from the bowl of salad in front of her. “I know you think that somehow you won’t find your happy ending here, but you’re wrong,” He murmured, leaning in closer to press a warm chaste kiss against her temple, his breath lightly ruffling the strands of her coffee and caramel hair.

She didn’t move as he pulled away from her, the practically searing warmth of his hand disappearing from her lower back. She could hear him moving away but she couldn’t summon the courage to actually look at him. He’d taken the salad she realized belatedly and was probably setting the table seeing as he was soon announcing that it was time for lunch to the pair in the living room. She finally managed to pull herself away from the counter when she heard James’ excited exclamations.

Steve was carefully helping Bucky get up while James outstretched a hand to help Bucky too. The brunet just smiled and let him offer his help, saying _thank you_ while Steve laughed and supported pretty well all of his weight. But James was smiling and she only hoped that it would be enough to keep him smiling after their lunch.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this chapter was so emotionally draining. Like, I cried writing it. I don't know. I'm sorry? It will have a happy ending, promise. <3

“Thank you for helping put away the dishes, James,” Steve said gently, placing the last fork James handed him into the dishwasher.

“You’re welcome and thank you for lunch!” James said happily, bouncing over to where Bucky had laid down on the sofa again.

Steve hummed, murmuring a soft, _so polite_ while watching as James came to an abrupt halt just beside Bucky, seeming to visibly restrain himself from jumping on the man. When Bucky looked to him, he smiled and James dropped down onto the floor on his knees, bracing his elbows near Bucky’s side on the sofa. Apparently he wanted to talk to the man.

Steve was smiling when he turned back to his tidying and Bailey stepped up beside him. “I noticed that you have a small patio just off the doors there…”

Steve nodded, glancing towards the sliding glass doors and then back to Bailey. “Yeah, there’s a set of steps there that’ll take you down to the courtyard. It’s mostly just grass, there’s a pond farther out but it’s quiet, private.”

Bailey nodded, glancing over to where Jack had padded over to Bucky and James and currently had his head resting on Bucky’s thigh. “Can I take James and Jack down there for a walk?”

Steve’s gaze softened and he nodded. “If you’d like, yes.”

Bailey exhaled shakily and nodded, her gaze flickering up to meet his. Steve merely tried to smile at her in reassurance. Whatever happened, they’d figure it out together. “Bucky and I will stay here…you can tell me what you’d like us to do when you come back…depending on how James is feeling.”

She nodded slowly and let her gaze settle on James again. “Alright,” She breathed.

Steve watched her go towards the pair in the living room and when she quietly asked James if he would like to come with her and Jack on a walk, he hopped up eagerly and took Bailey’s hand. “We shouldn’t be gone too long,” She murmured to Bucky, gaze flickering to where Steve had come in to the living room as well.

“Take as long as you need. We’ll be here when you get back,” Steve told her, settling himself down on the floor where he’d been drawing earlier.

Bailey nodded and turned, James’ hand held lightly in her grasp. She called to Jack and the pup jumped up eagerly and trotted along after her as they went to the doors that would take them out to the patio. “Be back soon!” James called over his shoulder, waving at the pair.

Bucky and Steve waved and said a quiet good bye as they watched the three head outside.

It was quiet in the living room after that and Bucky sighed softly. “She going to tell him?”

Steve simply nodded and Bucky opened his arms. It took no time at all for Steve to get up and come towards him. Bucky let Steve move them carefully and then they had arms wrapped around each other and faces buried in warm necks, Steve letting out a shuddering sigh.

“It’ll be alright, Stevie. Don’t worry, it’ll be alright,” Bucky consoled, rubbing a hand soothingly down the blond’s back.

Steve didn’t say anything and merely let himself be held and hold Bucky in turn.

They had spoken at length the night before. After Steve had settled Bailey into bed, he’d gone back to his room and curled up in Bucky’s arms. He’d cried. He’d felt flayed open with everything that had transpired and he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Bucky had held him through it, ran soothing fingers through his hair, pressed kisses to his wet cheeks and lips. Pressed reassurances into every bit of skin he could reach.

Once Steve had calmed some, he had admitted that he still loved Bailey. _Seeing her walk through that door, Buck. I-I thought I was just going to drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness. I wanted to hug her, hold her, kiss her and tell her how sorry I was for leaving. And then she told me_ ** _why_** _she was here and I-I just-_

Bucky had rocked him as best he could, soothing him with soft words, murmured reassurance and tender kisses. Bucky wasn’t stupid. He’d known Steve’s feelings for her hadn’t gone away even years later. The way Steve had felt, that guilty niggling he’d expressed when he’d told Bucky he’d _cheated on him_ was telling enough. _Christ_ , it was laughable even now, just the idea that Steve thought he’d cheated on Bucky back then.

 _Ludicrous_ , Bucky thought.

But that was Steve for you. His heart too big, something Bucky had known couldn’t possibly change no matter what they went through. He’d always had a big heart, always loved so strongly and with every fibre of his being. When he loved, he threw _everything_ he had into it. Bucky should know, he’d been on the receiving end of it for near on all his life.

That night, after Bucky had finally convinced Steve to go take a shower and come back to bed, the blond had crawled back under the covers to lie with him and Bucky had quietly whispered to him. _I want to get to know her, Stevie. I want to know more about the woman who opened your heart and made a home for herself therein. I know you love her and I’ll never take that away from you. I want you to be happy and it would make me happy if you let yourself love freely. James is a part of you and I know you’ll love him with all you have, protect him with all that you are, just as you protect me, as I protect you. Don’t be afraid to be with her, don’t be afraid to pursue her. She loves you, Stevie. I doubt she ever stopped._

Steve had cried again and Bucky had let him, hushing the blond when he tried to argue with him. Steve never wanted to hurt Bucky, never wanted to make him feel like he wasn’t enough, but that’s not how Bucky felt then. Bucky had always felt cherished, desired, _loved_ by Steve. It was always a matter of Steve having too much love to give. If there was ever such a thing, trust Steve to be the one to have it.

Steve still had his reservations, of course. It was _Steve_ after all. But Bucky had seen how they went about each other that morning, had seen them talking in the kitchen too, even if he didn’t hear their entire conversation. He knew Steve would tell him about it later, even when he didn’t have to.

While James and Bailey took Jack for a walk, Bucky just held Steve and tried to put all of his fears of being a terrible father to rest. There was no chance in hell Steve could ever be a terrible father. He loved children, always wanted a family, even when he didn’t think it was in the cards for him. Bucky had always adored kids, even if he had his own reservations. Being a father wasn’t supposed to be easy, but Bucky knew that Steve would manage just fine and Bucky would be there to support him every step of the way.

He let his chin rest lightly atop his husband’s head as Steve held him close, Bucky’s flesh and blood rubbing soothing circles over his back. Bailey would be back and they’d see how it went, see how James is taking the news. It was surely going to be quite the shock.

.

“Hey, James? Why don’t you come sit down with me for a moment,” Bailey suggested, sitting down cross legged in the grass.

It was sunny out today and warm, but not hot. Jack had run around in the grass as soon as they hit the bottom of the stairs, tearing circles around the place and making James laugh happily as he watched. James had joined him in running around and Jack had run circles around him in his excitement. Bailey had smiled and watched, but her heart felt heavy with the conversation she knew she was going to have with her son. It wasn’t going to be easy.

She’d thought a lot about how to tell James about his father over the years, she just didn’t think it was going to happen while he was so young. She hoped that he would understand enough. He was a smart boy.

James laughed tiredly and plonked himself down in the grass in front of her, Jack dropping down beside him and flopping onto his side, eagerly awaiting pets. James’ laugh was soft and happy and Bailey’s eyes grew fond at the sound.

James buried his hands in Jack’s fur and leaned over to press a kiss to the dog’s belly, smiling that joyous boyish smile she loved so much.

“Do you like it here, honey?”

James blinked and sat up a bit more, one of his hands still petting Jack’s belly. “Yeah, it’s nice here. Look how big the yard is, I’m sure Jack loves it too.”

Bailey smiled gently and nodded. “What about Steve and Bucky? Do you like them?”

James nodded, movement so fast and so adamant and Bailey tried not to laugh. “They’re _super_ nice, Mommy. Bucky found me and Steve helped-“ He shook his head, his bright eyes so round and adoring. “They saved me Mummy, they’re _so_ awesome.”

Bailey hummed, ducking her head a little. “They did find you, sweetheart and I’m so grateful they did. I don’t know what I would have done if-“ She shook her head and James frowned, watching her eyes fill with tears.

“Mummy,” He murmured and Bailey didn’t have much time to prepare for a lapful of James, but she managed, eagerly wrapping her arms about him and drawing her into her lap. “Don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m not sad, I’m so happy you’re safe, you have no idea,” She whispered, pressing kisses to his temple and golden hair.

“I’m happy too, Mummy,” He admitted and she smiled, rocking him lightly in her arms.

“I’m glad, sweetheart,” She murmured, just holding him for a while.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, until James shifted in her lap, turning to look out across the courtyard. There were a few trees, their leaves rustling in the light breeze. It was quiet here, just the sound of birds and insects, the occasional hum from the building at their backs. There were lots of windows to the building, but they all appeared to be dark, like you couldn’t see through them. Come to think of it, when she’d glanced up the way they’d came, the windows of Steve and Bucky’s apartment were dark just like them.

Privacy was obviously important to everyone here.

She let James get comfortable, resting back against her chest, his little legs stretched out in front of her. Jack hadn’t moved, now dozing on the grass and Bailey exhaled slowly. “I have a story to tell you, James.”

James tipped his head up and back to try and see her. “Yeah? Is it a good one?”

Bailey hummed softly and let her hands caress down the boys arms. “I think it’s a good story, but it is a little sad. Would you like to hear it?”

James nodded and scooched his bum back a bit more, drawing Bailey’s arms around his middle and making her hold him. It was no hardship and she gave him a gentle squeeze. “Alright, I’ll tell you. But you have to promise to listen to the whole thing, okay?”

“Okay,” He readily agreed and she exhaled shakily.

“Okay,” She agreed, letting out another slow breath. “Do you remember the story of Captain America and the Red Skull?”

“Yeah,” James murmured. “He was the bad guy that Captain America stopped, before he went to sleep.”

Bailey nodded, gaze softening. “Yes, sweetheart, he was a terrible person and wanted to hurt so many people, but Captain America stopped him and then went into the ice where he slept for a very long time.”

James was quiet as she spoke, relaxed in her arms. “When he woke up, the world wasn’t the same. He’d slept for so long that everything had changed. The technology was different, the food, the places he knew, the people…he lost everyone. He had slept for so long while all of his friends, people who knew him, grew up, had families and lives that he wouldn’t be a part of any longer. When he found out, he was so sad. He felt alone in a place that used to be his home, he was a man out of time and he needed to find his place in a world that was so different now.”

Bailey could see the side of James’ face and he looked stern, thinking all of this over. She gave him a gentle squeeze. “He was protected by the people who woke him but he was told that he needed to keep his identity a secret for a while. They needed to make sure that the world was ready to know he was alive and he needed time to be Steve Rogers, not Captain America. Do you remember what it means to be both Captain America and Steve Rogers?”

They’d had this conversation quite some time ago. Superheroes and identities. She’d felt it very important that he understand the differences between those things. “Yes, Captain America is a title, he’s a person but he’s the superhero that the world sees.”

“And Steve Rogers?”

James blew out a slow breath. “He’s the man behind Captain America. He’s different than his title, he’s a person too but he’s like you and me.”

“That’s right,” She murmured, kissing his temple. “You met Steve Rogers as Captain America yesterday and this morning-“

“I got to meet Steve Rogers,” James said in understanding.

“That’s right, honey,” She praised and James’ shoulders relaxed back against her. “So, while he and the people who found and woke him kept Captain America a secret, Steve Rogers could just be himself and try and make a life for himself in our future. It was difficult for him, he didn’t have any friends, just people he worked with who brought him back. He tried to go out and explore the city, tried to get used to everything now.”

James nodded, picturing what that must have been like. “It must have been scary for him.”

Bailey nodded. “I’m sure it was, but Steve Rogers is a brave man and he tried very hard. One day, he went to coffee shop he’d never been to before. He was nervous but he went in anyway. He was surprised by all the choices on the menu, there were words he didn’t understand, flavours he’d never heard of before. It was busy and loud in the shop and he was very uncomfortable. He was thinking about leaving and then he bumped in to a young woman.”

She was quiet for a moment, but James didn’t say anything so she continued. “The woman realized he looked a little lost and helped him choose something to drink. He seemed grateful she’d helped him and afterwards, they sat down together for a few minutes to talk. He thought she was kind and she thought he was too. They had to leave soon after their brief conversation though, but the woman thought about him long after they’d left the coffee shop.”

“A couple weeks later, she came across him again by accident. There was a child who was almost hit by a car and Steve saved him, plucked him right out of the street and brought him to safety. The woman had been inside a shop and had heard the commotion, so she’d run outside to see what was going on. That’s when she saw Steve, the man she’d met at the coffee shop a couple weeks before.”

“Did they talk?” James asked, clearly curious.

“They did,” She agreed. “She went to him and they spoke for a while. She told him about her new shop and he came to see it. He helped paint the walls of her new apartment and the shop and they had a lot of fun together. They laughed and listened to music while they worked, they ate lunch together often and then they had dinner together, watched a movie together.”

“Did it make him happy?”

Bailey’s brow pinched and she squeezed James a little tighter. “I think so, yes. He smiled at her a lot and she smiled back. They-they’d fallen in love.”

James twisted to look up at his mother, but Bailey didn’t want him to see her face so she pressed a kiss to his neck and urged him to look forward. “They really loved each other?” He asked, his voice so quiet.

“They did. They’d barely known each other for long, but there was a special spark between them and they’d fallen in love so quickly,” Bailey shook her head gently and blew out a shaky breath. “Steve was still only Steve Rogers then, he hadn’t been allowed to tell anyone that he was Captain America too so the woman didn’t know.”

James nodded, brows pinched as he listened to the story. “One night, they were together and she felt so much love for him and she was certain he felt it for her. But he was called by the people who woke him very suddenly and they told him that they needed him, that they needed him to be Captain America again. He didn’t tell the woman yet, he was afraid, I think, because he didn’t know how she would react. He thought she might be angry with him for keeping it a secret. Afraid that she might treat him differently if she knew.”

James nodded, frowning now. “What happened after?”

“He told her he’d be back to see her in a couple of weeks and she wanted to tell him that she loved him, she did. But something kept her from saying it and she let him go, hoping that he would come back to her. But the weeks passed and something terrible happened. There was a portal that opened-“

“The Chi-Chi-“

“Yes, the Chitauri. Those horrible aliens that came down to hurt the people of New York. So many people lost their lives, their homes, families, their loved ones. It was so terrible,” She murmured. “But Captain America had joined a group of superheroes-“

“The Avengers!” James cried happily. “They won, they sent the aliens away, Iron Man did, right?”

Bailey nodded, brushing some of the golden strands that had fallen over his eyes as he’d turned to look at her. “Yes, all of the Avengers fought them and sent them back to where they came from.”

James settled again and looked over at Jack as he nodded. “There was much to be done after the attack, but the people of New York are so strong and resilient. They would be okay, it would take time, but things would be alright again, thanks to the Avengers help. After the battle, Steve Rogers called the woman. He’d been so worried about her and she’d been terrified he’d been hurt. She saw Captain America on the news and it was announced that Steve Rogers had returned from a very long sleep and she knew, she knew it was _her Steve_.”

James shook his head. “What did he say to her? Was she angry he didn’t tell her?”

“No, she wasn’t angry with him at all. She’d been so worried about him too, she was so happy to hear his voice. So, so happy that he was okay. But he was afraid,” She whispered. “He was afraid that there would be another fight one day, someone who might want to fight him, to hurt him and he was frightened that someone would hurt the woman if they knew she was his love. He thought that she would be in danger if they stayed together, if he let himself love her like he wanted to.”

“Mummy…” James said softly. “That’s-that’s really sad.”

Bailey nodded, unable to speak for a long moment.

“It was very sad, James. You’re right. The woman was heartbroken but she understood. He was trying to protect her and though she was sad, she was never angry with him. She told him that she loved him and that she forgave him for leaving her, but he didn’t say the words back. But she knew, she knew deep in her heart that he loved her and it hurt, it hurt her so badly, honey,” She shook her head, burying her face against the back of his neck, just, _breathing_ him in.

“Can you tell me what happens when Mommies and Daddies love each other very much?” She asked quietly.

James clapped his hands together lightly. “Their love makes babies and sometimes they get married. Sometimes Daddies and Daddies can love each other very much, Mommies and Mommies, too. Like Theresa and Adelaine.”

“That’s right, sweetheart,” She murmured, thinking of the two mothers at his daycare.

She pressed a kiss to his hair, shimmering like spun gold in the sunlight. “Steve Rogers and the woman were not married, but they loved each other very much…”

“They had a baby?” James asked, curious and confused as he tipped his head to the side, trying to see his mother.

“The woman had a baby boy but she never told Steve. She kept it a secret and raised the boy on her own. She had help from some friends but her family had long since passed. She loved her son, so, _so_ much. She knew that one day, her son would want to know about his Daddy and she would tell him, she would. But not until he got a little older. She took care of him, loved him, spent all of her time with him, spoiled him rotten.”

James huffed softly, but he was more quiet than she expected. She squeezed him lightly. “She watched the boy grow every day and she loved him so much and she was happy, she was, but she was lonely too.”

“Why was she lonely?” The boy asked quietly.

“Because she missed the boy’s father, she missed Steve so much. She still loved him. She saw him on television a lot over the years. She saw him make friends, she saw him with the Avengers and then she saw him find Bucky.”

“ _Oh-_ “ James said in surprise. “He rescued Bucky, didn’t he?”

“He did and his friends helped him. They found Bucky and took care of him and Steve had always loved Bucky. They had loved each other for so long, long before he went to sleep under the ice. But he thought Bucky had died,” She said, as gentle as possible. “But that wasn’t true, was it?”

“No,” James agreed.

Bailey nodded. “So the woman watched as Steve and Bucky told the world that they loved each other, she watched as they smiled happily together whenever she saw them on television. She heard that they married one day too and it hurt to know that he had that kind of love and it wasn’t with her. She still loved him, James. So very much, but she was happy that he found love, that he found Bucky. They were always meant to be together.”

James nodded. “They’re best friends too, they love each other so much. They fight together with the Avengers and they’re so cool.”

Bailey chuckled softly but she nodded, running a hand lightly through his hair and then down his back. She took a few steadying breaths and forced herself to go on. “But then one day one day, something terrible happened to the boy. Someone had taken him, someone had taken the woman’s son.”

James stilled in her lap and she swallowed hard, resting her hands on his arms. “She was so scared when she found out, she didn’t know what to do. But she knew, she _knew_ that his father could help him, that Captain America, that _Steve Rogers_ , could help get him back. She went to him and she hadn’t seen him in so long, she hadn’t spoken to him in so long and she was so scared, James but she knew he would help her get her son back. When she found Steve, he-he was so strong, James. When she told him he had a son and that his son had been _taken_ , he-“ She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his middle, holding him even closer. “He vowed to get him back.”

James was very quiet in her grasp now and she knew she needed to continue. Her boy was too smart for his own good. “He and the Avengers vowed to get the boy back and they went to rescue him. They went so far away to find him but they found him and they saved him and they brought the boy home to his mother. But the boy didn’t know that Steve was his father, the boy didn’t know because the mother never told her son the truth. She’d only ever told him that his Daddy was a good man, a brave soldier, someone who fights to protect people who cannot protect themselves. She was so scared that the boy would be angry with her for keeping such a secret. But it was important that she did, because Steve had been right, people had tried to harm the boy because he was Steve’s son. But she knew that she had to tell her son the truth no matter what. Because he deserved to know, because he was strong enough to know.”

She fell silent after that, listening to her son’s steady breathing, the racing of her heart, the sound of Jack’s light snoring and the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees. James was very quiet in her lap and very still. Two things he so rarely was. She pressed a gentle kiss to his temple and tried to ignore the fact that her lower lip was trembling and she could feel heat growing behind her eyes as tears gathered therein.

“Mom?” James asked quietly after a short while.

Bailey made a soft noise and shifted when James turned around in her lap, squirming to sit on her left thigh to be able to properly turn towards her. She didn’t say anything as his bright blue eyes scanned over her face, a tiny frown clouding his youthful face, brows furrowed in thought as he let himself look at her. She couldn’t help it when tears started to escape, however.

“Are you the lady in the story? The Mommy?” James asked her, and his voice was so small, so timid; _afraid._

She nodded, not trusting her voice. She reached up to brush some of the tears from her cheek and brought her other hand up to caress over James’ side. The boy leaned closer to her and she closed her eyes. She felt his little hands on her cheeks and she let out a soft noise that would have been a sob if he weren’t there, she knew.

“Don’t cry, Mummy,” He whispered and her lashes fluttered, eyes opening to look at the very concerned face of her son. “It’s okay.”

Bailey reached up to caress his wrists lightly and turned her head to kiss at one of his palms. “It’s not, my little love and I’m sorry for not telling you. I know you must be upset with me.”

“ _Mommy-_ “ James sighed and he was frowning in earnest now and Bailey tensed, ready to be yelled at, but the yelling never came. “I’m not upset at you. It’s okay, we both share secrets, remember? I wish you weren’t so sad, though.”

Bailey nodded, her heart aching in her chest. “I’m very glad you’re not upset with me, sweetheart and I know we share secrets, but I kept this one from you and I didn’t want to but I had to.”

“To keep me safe?” James asked, tugging gently on one of her waves as he started winding her long hair around his finger.

“Yes, to keep you safe,” She agreed.

James nodded as he let his gaze drop to the strands now wound numerous times around his little finger. “I’m safe now though, right?”

“You are, honey, you are,” She reassured, squeezing his sides a little. “Steve and Bucky are letting us stay with them until we can make sure there are no more people looking for you or for me. They’ll keep us safe, _I’ll_ keep you safe.”

James nodded, pursing his lips slightly and Bailey watched as he seemed to struggle with what to say next. They were quiet for a moment and then James’ gaze flickered up to his mother’s face, watching her dark eyes flicker as she watched him.

“Is Steve really…?” He trailed off then and Bailey cupped his perfect pudgy cheek, swiping her thumb over his baby soft skin.

“Is he really your Daddy?” She finally breathed.

James’s eyes filled with tears and he nodded and Bailey bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her own. “He’s really your Daddy, sweetheart.”

James startled her when he wrapped his little arms around her neck and held on for all that he was worth. Her arms slipped around his waist effortlessly and she cradled the back of his head, urging him to settle against her neck. She shushed him gently when he started to cry and rocked him back and forth in her lap, running careful fingers through his hair and up and down his spine.

He was shaking with the force of his sobs and Bailey couldn’t resist her own tears any longer. She cradled her son in her arms tightly and murmured soft reassurances into his hair, pressed warm kisses to his temple and cheeks. They stayed like that for a while longer, warm in the sun and together. Always together.

.

“What’s got you looking so concerned?” Tony queried, striding across the living room towards the floor to ceiling windows.

Peter looked over his shoulder, brows pinched and an unhappy expression on his young face. He shook his head and turned back to the windows, lifting his half full cup of coffee to his lips for a sip. Tony frowned and stepped up behind the younger man, his hands falling to Peter’s hips and squeezing him lightly. He relaxed slightly when Peter relaxed back against him, leaning into his warmth.

Tony’s gaze flickered over his shoulder and landed on Bailey and James in a tight embrace out on the grass, Jack lying only a foot away from them in the courtyard. “I think she told him,” Came Peter’s soft voice.

Tony wrapped his arms around his small waist, drawing him back against his chest a little firmer as he settled his chin on the young man’s shoulder. “It looks that way.”

Peter nodded once, short and sharp and Tony sighed. “They’ll be alright, Pete. I know you’re worried about them but this is something they have to face on their own. Steve and Bucky will make it right, I saw how they were with her, with James-“ He shook his head. “They’ll be alright.”

Peter nodded, melting more into Tony’s embrace as Tony pressed a kiss to his temple. “You’re right, I know you’re right, but…”

“But what, sweetheart?” Tony prompted gently, Peter had always been so sensitive to others and Tony worried for him but always encouraged him to speak his mind.

Peter let out a shaky breath. “They’re going to have to keep him safe, Bailey too. Once they realize they-“

Peter clammed up instantly and Tony felt the younger man tense in his arms. Tony was baffled. “Once they realize what, Peter?”

Peter swallowed hard and shook his head, squirming out of Tony’s grasp as he headed for the kitchen. Tony’s gaze flickered from him as he pulled away and then back to where James and Bailey sat in the grass.

Tony followed Peter into the kitchen.

“Peter,” Tony said, voice stern.

Peter dumped the rest of his coffee in the sink and braced his hands against the counter, his back to Tony. He couldn’t not tell Tony, he told Tony _everything_ these days _._ They didn’t keep secrets from each other. He swallowed thickly and turned around to face his boyfriend. “You have to promise, Tony.”

Tony’s brows furrowed. “Promise what?”

Peter shook his head, stepping towards the older man. He grasped Tony’s hands in his and held them tightly to his chest. “Promise me you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone, _no one_ , Tony. Swear it.”

“Peter…” Tony faltered but Peter frowned, shaking his head.

“Jarvis, cease communications and recordings in this room,” Peter ordered and Jarvis didn’t hesitate, Peter had control in this space too.

Tony watched, brow furrowed in confusion. “Promise me, Tony.”

Tony worried his bottom lip and then nodded. “I promise, Peter. I won’t say a word to anyone.”

Peter’s shoulders sagged with relief and he nodded, pushing out a shaky breath. “Thank you-“

Tony hadn’t been prepared for what Peter told him next, but there wasn’t much to do about it, now was there?

.

“James?” Bailey said gently, nuzzling the boy’s temple.

He’d stopped crying a little while ago, as had she. They’d simply been holding on to one another as they calmed down and just… _breathed._ “Yeah?” He asked softly, tugging his face free of where he’d been getting tears and probably snot all over her shoulder.

She smiled softly and lifted the hem of her t-shirt to wipe at his tears, lamenting the fact that it had been new and clean. She inwardly sighed. It wasn’t the worst thing James had gotten on her. “Would you like to come back up to the apartment with me? I think your Daddy would really like to talk to you.”

James exhaled shakily and licked his lips as she pushed some of his hair out of his eyes. “He knows you told me?” He asked nervously.

Bailey nodded, pressing a light kiss to his pink nose. “Yes, he knows I was going to tell you on our walk. I know he’s eager to meet you properly, but if you need some time or want to think about it for a while, that’s okay.”

James played with her hair a little, coiling the strands around his fingers over and over again. “No, I don’t want to wait. I’ll talk to him,” He agreed, gaze flickering up to look at her.

“My brave boy,” She murmured, kissing his cheek.

James sighed shakily. “Will he be happy I’m his son?”

“Oh _honey_ ,” Bailey breathed, cupping his adorable cheeks in her palms. “He’s _so_ , _so happy_ you’re his son. I know it.”

James nodded jerkily and swallowed hard. “I’m frightened,” He admitted and Bailey nodded.

“That’s alright, sweetheart. I know this is isn’t easy for you and you might not understand everything, but you need to know that Steve cares about you, that _I_ care about you. He wants to be your Daddy and I’ll never stop being your Mommy.”

James nodded, his little hands now clutching fistfuls of her t-shirt. “Will Bucky be my Daddy too? He’s married to Daddy-“ His brows furrowed. “Will you marry Daddy too?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Bailey shook her head gently. “Those questions are far too complicated for me to answer. I’m very sorry,” She apologized, rubbing lightly at his back. “Your Daddy is married to Bucky because he loves him and Bucky loves Daddy. But your Daddy doesn’t love me the same way, honey,” Bailey murmured, pressing a soft kiss to one rosy cheek and then the other. “And as for Bucky being your Daddy too, that’s going to be a question you’ll have to ask Steve and Bucky, okay?”

James nodded, worrying his lower lip as he let himself think about that for a long moment. “Okay,” He murmured. “I want to go up and see him.”

Bailey nodded, caressing the boy’s back lightly. “Of course, darling. You’re so brave for me, so strong. I’m so proud of you, honey,” She whispered, pressing a long kiss to his forehead.

James slowly released his grasp on her and moved to stand, tugging lightly on Bailey’s hands to get her up too. She smiled at him once she stood and motioned for Jack, the pup already up and following closely as they started walking across the lawn hand in hand. They were quiet as they walked, but apparently James wasn’t quite done asking questions yet.

“Will you stay with me when I see him?” He asked quietly, still worrying that already red bottom lip.

Bailey smiled down at him and nodded, swinging their hands together slightly. “Of course, sweetheart. Anything you want.”

He nodded and she watched as his shoulders relaxed a fraction as they started up the stairs together. On the patio now, she turned to James as she went to step towards the door, but he tugged her back. “What’s the matter, little love?” She asked softly, eyes flickering over his frame.

He wasn’t looking at her though, he was looking down at Jack where he had one of his hands buried in his speckled fur. “I’m sorry that Daddy doesn’t love you the same way you love him.”

Bailey’s breath left her in a rush and he turned his gaze up to her, his bright blue eyes searching her face. “I’m sorry too,” She finally managed to whisper and gently rubbed her thumb over the back of his little hand.

James’ gaze turned towards the doors and he tugged her gently along towards them. Bailey followed.

.

Steve was sitting quietly on the oversized chair near where Bucky was now sitting propped up on the sofa, leg extended and ankle resting lightly on a pillow on the coffee table. When Bailey opened the door and they came inside, Steve went to stand but she made a gentle motion with her hand and he sat back down. His gaze dropped to where James was standing quietly by her side, holding her hand and apparently trying to disappear into her shadow. Steve’s heart leapt at the sight.

Bucky’s gaze tracked their movements over to the living room and no one said anything for a while. It was so quiet in the apartment and Bailey shifted a touch uncomfortably. She glanced down at James as they came to a stop a few feet away from where Steve sat and then she was crouching down beside him and turning him to face her, even if his gaze lingered on Steve a little.

“I know how brave you are, honey. I’ve seen how strong you are and you don’t need to be shy, okay? You and Steve were very close this morning, that hasn’t changed, okay?” She whispered, knowing full well the two men could hear her.

James nodded, glancing out the corner of his eye to Steve who was smiling gently but looked as nervous as he surely felt. “Okay,” He agreed, just as quiet and Bailey smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Don’t go anywhere,” He whispered and then let go of her hand, turning towards Steve.

Bailey quietly promised him that she wouldn’t and watched as James seemed to look at Steve but was unable to meet his eyes. She glanced up at Steve and gave him a reassuring smile, nodding her head towards the boy.

Steve exhaled shakily and shifted forwards in his seat, bending down a little towards him. “Hi, James,” He greeted gently, a soft yet worried smile on his face.

James’ gaze flickered up to him for half a second before he dropped it to look at Steve’s hands instead. “Hi…hi, Steve,” He whispered and Steve’s smile grew.

“Did you and your Mommy have a nice time outside with Jack? It looks like a nice day out,” Stevetried gently.

James nodded, biting his lower lip as he shifted where he stood. “It is nice outside, it’s warm and Jack and me, we got to run around outside.”

“That’s great, pal,” Steve said earnestly and James’ shoulders relaxed more.

“We also talked,” He admitted quietly after a beat, managing to chance another glance up into the man’s face, this one a little longer than the last.

Steve exhaled shakily and nodded, trying not to rub his suddenly sweaty palms against his pants. “I’m glad you got to talk,” He admitted, voice quiet, timid. “Do you want to tell me what you talked about?”

James looked to his Mom and she gave him an encouraging smile and James nodded, turning his attention back to Steve. He couldn’t help looking over at Bucky for a moment though too and his cheeks flushed a little when he found the man smiling kindly at him. He looked down at the floor quickly and then managed to raise his eyes a little more, his gaze landing on Steve’s hands where he kept them clasped loosely between his knees.

“We talked about you,” James admitted quietly.

Steve made a soft encouraging sound and Bailey gently rested a hand on the boy’s lower back, just letting him feel her warmth. “She-“ He started, but stopped himself and licked his lips nervously. “She told me that-“ He exhaled noisily and Steve’s eyes crinkled a little at the corners.

“James?” He said softly, extending a hand towards him, palm up.

James looked at it and then chanced a glance up into his face. His whole body relaxed when he saw how kindly Steve was smiling at him. Without an ounce of hesitation, he reached out and put his hand in Steve’s, much, much larger one.

Steve gently drew him forward into the space between his knees and then took both of his little hands in his. Steve felt as if he were a giant compared to the little boy but he still smiled, ducking his head to meet his gaze. “You don’t have to be nervous,” Steve told him quietly. “Or frightened of me, I’d never hurt you, sweetheart.”

James made a soft noise and met Steve’s gaze, suddenly unable to look away now that they were so close. “I-I know and ‘m not scared of you, I-I’m just nervous.”

“I know, pal and it’s okay to be nervous, but you don’t need to be. I promise,” He murmured and James blew out a shaky breath.

“A-are you really my Daddy?” James asked, finally managing to find the words, even if they came out quiet, meek.

The smile that bloomed on Steve’s face would forever be ingrained in Bailey’s memory, Bucky’s too. He smiled so big, so sweetly that his eyes crinkled with the force of it, even if he somehow looked sad too. There were tears brimming in his bright blue eyes and he nodded. “I am, sweetheart and I’m so, _so_ sorry that I wasn’t there for you,” He apologized, gently squeezing James’ hands still in his grasp.

James’ lower lip wobbled and Steve was unprepared for him to suddenly launch himself at the blond. Steve let out a soft _oomph_ as James threw his arms around Steve’s neck and held on as if for dear life. Steve exhaled shakily and supported him easily in his arms, now seated in his lap as he wrapped his arms around him just the same. He couldn’t resist the small squeeze as he pressed his face against the boy’s hair, inhaling the smell of him and just, letting all the tension bleed from his frame.

His lashes fluttered as he let himself relax back into the cushions and merely held James against his chest as careful as possible. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that for but it must have been a while. When he finally tipped his head to look over the James’ head, he found that Bailey had moved to sit beside Bucky, Bucky who was watching him hold James quietly while he draped an arm around Bailey’s shoulders and let her rest against his chest.

She’d been crying but then again, so had Steve. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but he’d started shedding tears the moment James had leapt into his arms. To see Bucky holding her close had his heart feeling as if it’d skipped a beat and he smiled at them.

Bucky inclined his head and Steve’s gaze was so soft and adoring when he turned his eyes to where James was curled up against him, arms still wrapped around Steve’s neck, though much looser now. James had cried too, his cheeks wet with tears, Steve’s neck and shirt collar too. He gently carded careful fingers through the boy’s hair and trailed down along his back.

He looked exhausted and he probably was. He could barely keep his eyes open and Steve gently lifted his chin, those long lashes fluttering as he looked up at Steve with tired red-rimmed eyes. “Hey there,” Steve said gently and watched as a small smile bloomed on the boy’s face.

“Hi, Daddy,” He said quietly, voice laced with sleep.

Steve exhaled shakily and tried to push back the urge to cry, _again._ Somehow he had a feeling every time this boy called him Daddy for the next while, he’d feel like he’d taken a particularly hard punch to the gut.

“H-hey, pal. Would you like to lay down for a while, maybe take a nap?” He suggested, brushing some of that floppy golden hair from his eyes.

He blinked big round blue eyes up at Steve and nodded, reaching up to rub tiredly at his eyes. “Will you lay down with me?” He asked softly, both of his hands coming to rest on Steve’s chest, little hands bunching in the fabric of his t-shirt.

“Of course, James. We can go lay down in your room for a while, okay?” Steve consoled, gently rubbing the boy’s back.

James nodded and looked over at where Bailey had shifted in her seat. “S’ that okay, Mom?”

“Of course it is, sweetie,” She assured, wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks. “I’m going to maybe start on dinner and I can wake you later.”

James hummed softly and yawned and the fond look Steve shot him was enough to make her heart clench. “Okay, Mom,” He murmured and turned back to look at Steve. “Can you carry me?”

Steve huffed softly in amusement. “Yeah, a’course I can.”

James smiled tiredly and tucked his face back against Steve’s neck as the blond adjusted his grip and then stood, lifting the boy along with him. “Enjoy your nap,” Bucky called softly and watched as James turned his head to the side to look at Bucky and his Mom.

“We will,” James murmured and the little wrinkles at Bucky’s eyes were so damn endearing, Steve found it difficult not to bend down to give him a kiss.

He shook his head gently and let his eyes flit to where Bailey was smiling at them. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t and instead waved her hand tiredly at them. James waved back, but barely and Steve huffed softly and turned to head for the bedroom.

After they left, Bailey clasped her hands over her mouth as she bent to rest her elbows on her knees. _God_ , but she was just as exhausted. She felt Bucky shift beside her and then there was a careful hand resting between her shoulder blades.

“If you need to let it out or go for a walk or even sleep, just say so,” He said gently and Bailey exhaled shakily, sitting back up.

“I’m alright, I just-just needed a minute,” She admitted and Bucky smiled at her kindly.

“Take as many as you need,” He told her, letting his hand rub gentle soothing circles over her back.

They sat in quiet for a short while longer and when she shifted to turn towards him, he let his hand fall. “I’d like to make dinner for you both tonight, as a thank you,” She explained and Bucky’s gaze softened further.

“You don’t need to do that, no thanks are necessary.”

Bailey exhaled slowly and shook her head. “More thanks than I could ever possibly convey are necessary, Bucky, so I’d really like to make you dinner.”

Bucky smiled softly and sighed, nodding gently. “Alright, maybe I can help you a bit. What were you thinking?”

“Do you have chicken? I was thinking of making a pasta dish with salad and garlic bread,” She admitted.

Bucky nodded. “If you can think it, we’ve probably got it,” He chuckled, motioning towards the kitchen. “Please, help yourself to anything and if you can’t find something, just ask myself or Jarvis. _Here_ , I’ll come into the kitchen with you, sit at the table in case you need help.”

Bailey smiled and nodded, pleased as she stood up. “Let me help you up,” She insisted, reaching out to take Bucky’s hands, both of them.

Bucky almost startled when she curled her hand around the metal and his gaze flickered up to her face a touch nervously. “I’m sure I can manage-“

“ _Nonsense_ ,” She admonished and Bucky was surprised when she started tugging lightly on his hands.

He had no choice but to try and push himself up, trying hard not to drag her down or topple her over as she braced her feet to help him up. They surprisingly managed alright and then she was assisting him to the kitchen where she helped him sit at the table and placed a pillow on a chair beside him so that he could prop his ankle up and have a view of the kitchen.

“Can I get you anything? Some water or a snack?” Bailey asked lightly, moving towards the fridge to see what they had that she could use for dinner.

Bucky huffed and she glanced over her shoulder at him. “What?” She asked nervously.

Bucky shook his head, smiling at her. “Nothing, I’m just glad you’re feeling comfortable here is all…and I’d love a glass of water.”

Bailey blushed lightly, realizing she’d just sort of started to raid their fridge, but she let out a soft chuckle anyway. “Coming right up.”

Bucky merely smiled and ducked his head, listening to her as she busied herself in the kitchen. A couple of minutes later she’d set down a glass of water for him and a small plate with crackers, cheese and fruit for him to nibble on. When he looked up at her in question, she merely shrugged and said, “You’re recovering, this’ll help.”

Bucky didn’t really know what to say to that, so instead he asked Jarvis to play some music quietly for them as Bailey went about dinner preparations. He watched her for a little while, while at the same time fiddling with his phone. He sent off a message to Tony because there were a few missed messages from the man, nothing alarming, just seeing how he was doing as well as Bailey, Steve and James. It was nice, to be thought of like that and when he was suddenly invited to a group chat featuring the rest of the Team, he quickly discovered that they weren’t going to be having a quiet dinner together after all.

“Uh…”

Bailey glanced over her shoulder at him and caught his surprised expression. “Everything alright?”

Bucky chuckled softly and ran a hand through his longer hair before he lifted his gaze from his phone to meet hers. “Yes?”

Bailey frowned lightly at him. “You don’t sound so sure of that.”

Bucky huffed a soft laugh and winced slightly at the ache that brought to his ribs. He was still a bit tender. “Well, yeah okay, I’m fine but I don’t think it’s just going to be the four of us for dinner any longer.”

“Oh?”

Bucky hummed, waving his phone at her. “I made the mistake of telling Tony that you were making dinner for us and…he’s told everyone that we’re doing a potluck, they’re all coming for dinner and bringing dishes of their own to share.”

Bailey huffed, looking down at the veggies she’d pulled and the assorted pasta boxes and sauces. She knew that Bucky and Steve probably ate a lot so she had intended to make more than perhaps necessary, but now that the others were joining them…

“I’m going to need more chicken…and pasta,” She huffed and Bucky grinned wryly at her.

“I’ll text Nat, she can drop some off. But don’t go crazy, everyone will be making their own dishes to share, don’t worry,” He insisted and she smiled over at him.

“Alright, then you’re on veggie duty. You mind chopping over there while I work on the garlic bread and chicken?” She asked him.

“Not at all,” He murmured, smiling at her as she started gather what he’d need to cut up the vegetables.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my absence. I've been dealing with some terrible mental health issues and with everything else going on, including carpal tunnel in my dominant hand, I've been unable to write, read or really be on the computer a whole lot. I'm sorry, but I hope this update is enough for now. <3

“Do you want to go wake them? I’m pretty sure everyone’s on their way-“ Bucky wasn’t at all surprised when a moment later there was a light knock at their front door and then Tony and the rest of the Team were filing into the apartment.

When he turned to look over at Bailey as the group started saying their _hello_ ’s, everyone carting a dish of some sort, he found her looking down at her t-shirt which was…still covered in James’ tears and probably snot. He huffed softly and shot her a reassuring smile when she looked up at him, clearly embarrassed.

“I should run and change, I can wake Steve and James as well,” She agreed, biting her lip as Natasha, Sam, Peter and Tony came into the kitchen, Clint, Thor, Sam and Bruce heading to the table to sit with Bucky.

“What do you need to change for?” Peter piped up, murmuring a happy hello as he set down a dish on the counter. “I think you look fine.”

Bailey laughed nervously, saying a quiet hello to Natasha, Tony and the others, all of whom were busy watching her with very curious looks. “I’m uh, a little rumpled from James,” She motioned to her shoulder and Bucky tried not to smile too big when her cheeks heated.

Tony grinned at her and tipped his head slightly to glance over at Bucky with a raised eyebrow. “Rumpled from James, you say?”

Bailey spluttered, the heat in her cheeks only growing as she tried to correct herself. “ _My_ James, they’re tears and ugh…snot and spit probably.”

Tony smirked, but his gaze softened when he saw how embarrassed she was and she’d said _tears_ , so…

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can ignore me, it’s okay,” Tony consoled and Peter rolled his eyes in amusement next to her, even the others couldn’t help snickering lightly.

She laughed softly and shrugged. “Right, well-I’m just going to go wake Steve and James and I’ll-I’ll be right back.”

No one bothered to disagree and merely smiled at her and waved her off. When she caught Bucky’s reassuring smile and wink, she relaxed a fraction and turned and tried not to appear to _flee_ the kitchen.

.

When Bailey had woken the pair from their nap, she’d asked James to come and wash up with her before dinner while Steve went to greet the others and see if he could help with anything. She took a few extra minutes making sure that James not only looked presentable but was feeling alright and if there was anything he wanted to talk about. He’d just smiled at her and rubbed at his sleep filled eyes and told her that he was fine and _super excited_ to see the Avengers again. She really couldn’t fault him for it.

Eventually they joined the others in the kitchen and it was to a chorus of excited calls and laughter that Bailey felt herself truly relax. Everyone was so happy to see James and when the boy went and practically made a beeline for Steve who was standing next to Bucky, having just finished setting the table, the chorus of hello’s turned to _aww’s_ as Steve crouched down to greet him.

These were good people and Bailey had to fight not to burst into tears yet again at the sight of Steve lifting James into his arms and just holding him while the others crowded closer and started chatting with their son.

She wasn’t left to stand there long on her own, either. Peter came over and nudged her lightly with his hip. “Hey,” He greeted quietly.

She smiled and nudged him back gently. “Hey, you.”

“Everything okay?”

Bailey exhaled shakily and nodded, a wobbly smile on her lips as she turned to the young man. “Yeah.”

Peter smiled at her warmly and before long he was drawing her over to the group as everyone started plating up the food, Steve offering to help Bailey bring the pasta, salad and garlic bread to the table.

It was easy after that, for everyone to fall into comfortable conversation around the table. They laughed and ate, drank some wine and beer and James kept up a running commentary through the whole meal. It was _comfortable_ and so damn easy and Bailey let herself believe that she could be a part of this somehow.

It wasn’t as if they were excluding her in the first place. Everyone was eager to chat with her, have her tell them more about herself. They _liked_ her or at least, it seemed that way to her. She tried not to get her hopes up, but it was just so _easy_ with all of them. Steve and Bucky included. And James, _oh James_ , he was so happy, his bright laughter filling the space and drawing the attention of everyone in the room. He’d always been a ray of sunshine in her life and she thought she could see him being one for all of them as well.

After dinner the group migrated to the living room, taking up just about every available surface, James somehow ending up in the middle of the group colouring at the coffee table. Bailey had tried to help clean up the kitchen, insisting she could handle it on her own, managing to shoo off Steve and Sam’s help, but not Peter’s nor Bucky’s.

“You’re injured,” Bailey stated flatly. “You should be resting, not standing at the counter washing dishes,” She sighed.

Bucky rolled his eyes and motioned to Peter to drag a chair over from the kitchen table which he readily did. “I’ll sit and dry the dishes, I’m not that bad off.”

Bailey sighed and ignored Peter’s quiet snicker, tossing the young man a dish towel too after Bucky had stolen hers from her shoulder. “If you insist.”

Bucky smirked and reached up for one of the plates in the dish rack, Peter already having started drying some of the pots. “I do,” He sassed back and Bailey didn’t bother to stop the roll of her eyes as she turned back to the sink.

She turned down several attempts after that of others coming and offering to do the dishes, but she wouldn’t be swayed. Peter and Bucky continued to help and eventually they came to the last batch of dishes to wash and Bucky sent Peter off to join the others in the living room stating that they could manage the rest. It was while Bailey was drying her hands at a fresh tea towel that Bucky realized something off.

He reached out while Bailey had been looking out into the living room a warm smile on her face as she no doubt watched Steve and James who were now displaying their morning’s drawings to the group and grasped her wrist lightly. She stilled, surprised by the touch and turned to look at Bucky questioningly.

“What-“ She started, only to cut herself off when Bucky’s other hand reached out to grasp her other wrist.

He tugged her towards him and turned her hands in his grasp, forcing her to let her hands rest palms up in his grasp. She had no idea what was wrong but he was looking at her with serious confusion on his face, brows creased and lips parted and gaze trained on her hands. Her hands.

She flinched when she realized what he was looking for and the motion made him instantly look up into her frightened face. “ _Bailey-_ “ He started, tone laced with warning.

“I can explain, _please-_ just-“

“Start explaining,” He whisper hissed and she trembled a little as his grasp on her wrists tightened just a little.

He instantly let go when she started to tremble and shot a glance towards the others, but no one was paying them any mind. “Outside, right now,” He ordered quietly, tone softening.

She nodded as he went to stand and offered him her hand again. He let himself look at it for a moment and then took it, letting her help him to his feet. They’d barely made it a couple of steps towards the back door before Tony called out to them.

“Hey! Where are you two off to?”

“We’re just stepping outside for a minute, we’ll be right back,” Bucky assured, smile plastered on his face. “I’ve been cooped up inside all day and Bailey offered to sit out with me for a few minutes. You know what, we’ll bring Jack along too. We’ll be right back,” He insisted and was relieved when no one offered to join them.

At the mention of Jack, Bailey called out to the pup and he bounded over to them eagerly. Steve was looking at them a touch curiously but Bucky paid him no mind and instead turned as Bailey opened the door for him and Jack.

As soon as the door shut behind them, however, Bucky’s back now to the windows and the group therein, his smile slid completely from his face. “Sit down in the chair in the corner, no one can see you when you sit there.”

Bailey didn’t fight him on it and quickly dropped into the seat he’d pointed at near the low coffee table, watching as Jack bounded down the stairs to the lawn. Bucky sat down gingerly beside her, back still to the windows in case anyone decided to stick their head out. When he went to prop his ankle up on the coffee table, however, Bailey stopped him briefly to place one of the spare cushions on the table first.

He murmured a quiet thanks and leaned back into his chair before fixing a very pointed look at her. “You’d better start explaining, because by my knowledge, non-enhanced humans don’t heal overnight,” He muttered, nodding towards her now healed palm.

Bailey swallowed thickly and curled her hand into a tight fist. “I-I know, I’m sorry-I should have-“ She shook her head, unable to continue.

“ _Told us?_ Yep, but since you didn’t, you’re going to now,” He insisted and she knew that tone.

She nodded quickly and rubbed her now sweaty palms against the tops of her thighs. “I’m just human-“ She started. “I swear I am, but-“

Bucky raised a brow at her and she blew out a harsh breath as she met his gaze and he could see nerves and genuine fear there.

He eased up on his murder-face.

“Take a deep breath in, let it out…and start from the beginning.”

Bailey nodded jerkily and did as he asked.

“D-during the pregnancy,” She began. “I noticed some strange things and-and at first, I chalked it up to well, me being pregnant. Pregnant women go through all sorts of bodily changes, so I didn’t think much of it.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed. “What kinds of things?”

Bailey bit her lower lip gently and shook her head. “I was hungry…like, _all_ of the time. I knew I was eating for two but I thought it was a bit ridiculous, how much I was eating…and I wasn’t exactly gaining a whole lot of weight, at least, not as much as I should have been with the amount of calories I was consuming.”

The furrow between Bucky’s brows only grew.

“A-and then I started b-breaking things. _By accident-_ “ She explained nervously. “I’d pick up a cup and squeeze it too hard o-or I would go to write something and break my pencil…or pen. I broke a cupboard door…an _actual_ door and-“

“You… _broke…_ stuff,” Bucky said slowly and she nodded.

“O-one day I broke a glass and one of the pieces cut my palm open. It hurt really badly, startled me really badly too. The cut was deep and I thought I was going to need stitches for sure, so I wrapped it and went to my doctors. I-it was only about an hour and a half between the incident and my appointment and y-yet by the time he looked at it…” She shook her head, looking up at Bucky with pleading eyes.

“It was already healed,” Bucky finished for her and she nodded.

“N-not completely, but enough that it wasn’t nearly half as bad as it had been,” She agreed and Bucky nodded, mull that over.

“A-after the pregnancy,” She went on, voice quiet. “Those… _changes_ …didn’t go away, not completely. I still eat more than I probably should and I don’t break things as often and when I get paper cuts from all the books at the shop-“ She waved her hand lightly and Bucky exhaled roughly.

“Who else knows about this?”

“I think Peter knows…his aunt knows something. S-she was the nurse present at delivery and I begged her to get rid of my bloodwork- _James’_ bloodwork-“ She breathed. “I never let him get bloodwork done by anyone else after that, nor myself. May did it for us when it was necessary and she always destroyed the records after. She’d questioned me on it once and I-“ She shook her head. “I broke down crying and couldn’t say it and she never questioned me again. W-when Nick and Maria contacted me, I thought somehow they knew but they didn’t. They _don’t know_.”

Bucky swallowed heavily. “Do _you_ know what this is?”

Bailey shook her head gently. “I have theories, but no…no I don’t know for certain.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “It-“ He breathed in deeply. “It sounds to me…like the s-serum affected you. Maybe it affected James in utero and if h-he has the serum and it _changed_ you…”

Bailey’s eyes were pleading as she looked to him. “He has some form of the serum,” She confessed quietly and Bucky’s breath left him.

“H-he’s stronger than he should be but he’s not as healthy as he should be,” She confessed. “He does have asthma and allergies but his body heals other things quickly, like scrapes and bruises. He’s allergic to a lot of grasses, environmental factors but no foods that we know of. But even his asthma and allergies have changed since he was little.”

“What do you mean?”

Bailey shook her head gently. “His asthma used to be really severe, he struggled a lot for the first couple of years and back then he _was_ allergic to foods. Peanuts and strawberries and _gluten_ ,” She shook her head again, looking down at her hands. “He’s so much better now, so much healthier, but-“

She looked up at Bucky then and the man could only stare at her, trying to take it all in. “But he shouldn’t be.”

“No, he shouldn’t be,” She agreed quietly.

Bucky swallowed thickly and let his gaze trail over her frame. “What about you?”

Bailey blinked in confusion. “What about me?”

He nodded, motioning gently to her body. “Are _you_ healthy? Are you strong or fast or-“

Bailey reached out and placed her hand on his knee, palm up…beside the metal hand. Bucky looked down at it and let his gaze flicker back up to her bright eyes.

He placed the metal hand in her palm and gave it a gentle squeeze, nodding his head. She blew out a breath and squeezed, slow and cautious at first but when Bucky nodded again…she squeezed _hard._

He grunted a little as the plates in his metal arm whirred to life, locking and clicking- _tensing-_ as if readyfor a fight…she was clearly exerting a decent amount of force.

He let go and so did she.

“I lifted a car once,” She confessed. “Jack had gone under one of the parked cars in the lot near the daycare, frightened by thunder and he refused to come out…”

Bucky blew out a breath and nodded. “A car.”

She nodded and bit her lower lip. “It wasn’t very heavy,” She admitted a touch sheepishly and Bucky shook his head incredulously.

“Uh huh,” He huffed.

Bailey grimaced a little and looked down at her hands. “I’m healthy, I don’t get sick any more, I have no allergies or anything. I can run faster and longer…don’t exactly get too out of breath while doing it…”

Bucky just nodded, unable to do much more than that.

“James can run, let me tell you-“ She huffed. “And I saw him lift the sofa one time when he lost a marker under it…” She swallowed hard. “We’ve spoken about it before.”

“What?” Bucky asked, gaze flickering back to hers.

“I had to speak to James about it. I was terrified he would do something out in public and arouse suspicions.”

Bucky nodded, unable to look away. “What did you tell him?”

Bailey shrugged a little, looking back down at her hands. “I told him that we were special, that we were given something to make us strong and healthy but that it must be kept a secret. I told him that when he was older we would talk about it more but that he needed to keep it a secret and he’s been very good about it.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “So…no one knows…except for May, Peter and myself.”

Bailey nodded, biting her lower lip. “May suspects something. I know she saw our bloodwork but she’s never come out and said anything and Peter-“ She shook her head. “He spends a lot of time with James and I at the shop. I-I’m not sure we haven’t accidentally done something with him around. Actually, I don’t know how _we_ didn’t know _he_ was enhanced,” She frowned, shaking her head at herself and Bucky huffed.

“He’s careful…and I’m not saying that you aren’t or weren’t,” He consoled.

She nodded, shifting nervously in her spot. “I tried so hard to be careful,” She whispered. “I tried everything to keep him safe.”

Bucky’s expression turned pinched as he watched her brace her elbows on her knees and bury her hands in her hair, hanging her head. “ _Hey-_ “ He tried, voice gentle. “You did everything you could, doll and I think you did really well. It’s okay to let go a bit…I-“ He shook his head as she raised her bleary eyes to him. “I can’t imagine how hard all of this must have been for you. To go through all of this on your own,” He shook his head. “Steve would never have known that the serum could have affected you in such a way, _no one_ knew it could ever affect someone in such a way. There’s no research into it, not like that. Even my serum is different and I know I can’t have kids-“

She made a soft noise and Bucky smiled at her kindly. “Regardless, you went through this on your own, a change in not only your body but James’ and it wasn’t your choice nor Steve’s but it happened and you’ll be alright, so will he.”

Bailey reached up to wipe hastily at a few stray tears and Bucky sighed, sitting up a bit more and reaching out to her. She let him grasp her hand in his and they squeezed each other gently in support. “Thank you, Bucky. You don’t know how amazing you’ve been. I don’t kn-“

“ _Bailey_ ,” He interrupted gently, squeezing her hand a little as Jack came to investigate, his cold nose bumping against his wrist lightly. “Please stop thanking me,” He said quietly, shifting and resting his flesh and blood hand over Jack’s head for a moment. “If anything…if anything, I have you to thank, sweetheart.”

Bailey blinked, a few lingering tears falling to her lap where Jack was quickly shifting to nose at her. “Why would you th-think that?”

Bucky smiled, reaching up with his flesh and blood hand to gently brush some of her dark hair out of her pretty face. “You gave Steve a son, you gave _me_ a son. I already love James as if he were my own. I can’t begin to describe it but I know I would do anything to protect him, just as you would, just as Steve would.”

Bailey’s eyes had grown misty again and Bucky smiled as her lower lip wobbled and tugged her gently. “C’mere, silly,” He murmured and she let herself be pulled.

When he wrapped both of his arms around her and pulled her in close, he ignored the twinge in his ribs and the ache in his hip as she settled sideways in his lap. “It’s gonna’ be alright, yeah? We’re gonna’ do this together and get through it together and that boy is gonna’ be loved and _so spoiled-_ “

She laughed at this and Bucky smiled, letting her draw back a bit. “He’s already spoiled,” She admitted with a watery laugh and Bucky huffed.

“You think _you’re_ bad? Just you wait ’til _uncle Tony_ and everyone else gets involved,” He chuckled and she smiled, ducking her head lightly.

“Fair enough,” She murmured, letting out a deep sigh.

Bucky smiled at her gently. “You know you’re going to have to tell him, don’t you?”

Bailey exhaled shakily and nodded, climbing carefully to her feet. “Yes, I do and I will. I still want to talk to you both about-well-“ She shook her head. “Steve wants to know more about the pregnancy-“

“Me too,” Bucky added quietly and she nodded.

“And I intend to talk to both of you about that more later and I’ll bring everything else up then,” She admitted, sighing softly.

Bucky nodded, letting her carefully help him to his feet. “That sounds good, doll.”

He blinked when she gave him a funny look and he realized he’d sort of been calling her sweet nicknames. He cleared his throat lightly but didn’t apologize, not when her cheeks were pinking up so sweetly. “Come on, we should get back inside before they come looking for us.”

She hummed in agreement and they made their way back to the doors, Jack padding along beside them. Upon stepping inside, however, they were entirely caught off guard by the scene that greeted them.

Because there was Clint lying sprawled on his back in the middle of the living room with everyone standing and staring in wide-eyed _shock_ …because James was _still holding Clint’s hand_. He’d clearly been the one to flip the Archer and Bailey’s face paled when she caught sight of Steve standing there looking just as terrified as she currently felt.

Of course James also looked startled, probably by his own reaction to whatever prompted him to _flip Clint_. Bailey didn’t think much of it as she sat down heavily at one of the kitchen tables’ chairs and barely even noticed when Bucky’s hand landed comfortingly on her shoulder, far too preoccupied with the _look_ Steve was giving her, face as white as a sheet.

_Great._

With the quickly growing tension in the room, _someone_ had to break it. Bucky was incredibly relieved that it was Tony who took it upon himself to do so.

“ _Well, then-_ “ Tony breathed, suddenly grinning as he came to crouch down in front of James as the kid tentatively pulled Clint up to his feet, the Archer looking baffled and still a little winded.

But he _was_ smiling. So there’s that.

“You’ve got your Dad’s strength, don’t you,” Tony asked gently, though he wasn’t really asking.

James’ bright blue eyes were so round, nervous and a little frightened and his gaze immediately sought out his mother. Bailey could do naught but give him a slight nod and a poor excuse of a smile and hoped that was enough.

He looked back to Tony and nodded before looking over at his Daddy. “M’ sorry,” He whispered and Steve finally seemed to snap out of it.

He dropped down on one knee beside the boy and shook his head. “No reason to be sorry, pal,” He whispered, giving him a gentle smile. “C’mere, let me see those muscles,” He teased and James let out a soft giggle as Steve gently squeezed his upper arms.

The tension finally broke and everyone settled down after that, though Bailey couldn’t help but note that they were all shooting Steve- _and her-_ nervous glances from time to time. Eventually Bucky had to clear his throat and the group seemed to drop it.

Bailey wasn’t so lucky.

Steve inclined his head towards the kitchen and Bailey had no choice but to join him looking like she was about to face the executioner. She missed Bucky’s warning look and mouthed, _behave_ he sent Steve’s way, however.

“I know you don’t want to talk about this right now and frankly, I don’t either, so-“ He took a deep breath as she turned to face him properly. “After everyone is gone, we’re going to put James to sleep and then I’m going to crack open some of Thor’s wine and we’re going to have a long and _very detailed_ chat.”

Bailey was already nodding before he’d even finished speaking. “O-of course, Steve. Of course, I w-was going to tell you, I _was_ ,” She insisted and Steve blew out a breath, reaching out to her.

She was startled when he swept her up into a tight hug, the breath _whooshing_ from her lungs in such a rush. Steve’s arms tightened around her as he buried his face in her hair and breathed in shakily. “I believe you, honey,” He whispered and Bailey positively _melted_ into his embrace, letting out a shuddering exhale in the process.

They stayed like that for a moment and Bailey let herself truly believe that everything was going to work out, that everything was going to be okay. She exhaled shakily and looked up at Steve and watched a warm smile tug at his lips. She returned it.

“Come on, I can hear Sam challenging James to an arm wrestle and I really don’t want to have to make an unexpected trip to the med bay,” Steve huffed and Bailey smiled, those little crinkles at the edge of her eyes making his chest warm.

She nodded and just as Steve turned to tug her along to the living room, she placed a gentle hand on the back of his arm. “Steve?”

He stilled, turning to look at her as she stepped up beside him. “You’re both going to be wonderful fathers.”

Steve’s breath stalled in his chest and he swallowed hard, unexpected tears gathering in his eyes. Her own smile turned a little wobbly then and she squeezed his arm gently before heading past him into the living room.

She could feel the weight of his gaze on her as she settled onto a spot on the floor beside James who was indeed getting ready to arm wrestle Sam. When she looked up, Steve was smiling at nothing in particular as he sat down beside Bucky on the sofa, the brunet reaching over and grasping Steve’s hand in his and giving it a comforting squeeze.

Things were going to be fine.


	12. Chapter 12

Bailey leaned back against the bedroom door, breathing deeply as she shut her eyes for a long moment. She felt entirely too overwhelmed and she hadn’t even _talked_ to Steve and Bucky yet. But she knew she was going to have to face the music sooner or later, standing here thinking about it wasn’t going to make the situation magically right itself.

The Team had left about on hour ago and she’d taken an already tired James to get ready for bed at their departure. She’d promised after she gave James a bath, she’d call Steve and Bucky in to say goodnight and maybe read him a story. All three had obviously been thrilled by the prospect and she tried not to eavesdrop as they cuddled up on the bed and read _The Three Musketeers_ to him.

After story-time, she’d freshened up herself, and now here she was, feeling as if she were about to face the gallows. She took one more steadying breath and headed down the hallway, raising her gaze to find Bucky seated on the sofa, foot propped up gently on the coffee table over a pillow and Steve carrying three wine glasses over from the kitchen.

She tried not to let her gaze linger on the blond. He’d changed into more comfortable clothes after saying goodnight to James and now was clad in nothing but a pair of black sleep pants and a white threadbare t-shirt that stretched far too obscenely over his muscular chest. She could even see his nipples through the damn thing.

Her gaze flickered away from him as he came into the living room and it fell curiously to a vial of pink liquid on the table next to an opened bottle of white wine. She didn’t ask about it and instead moved to sit on one of the oversized chairs. Though, she didn’t so much as sit in it as she sort of _fell_ into it.

Bucky was smiling at her when she finally felt brave enough to meet his dark gaze. At least he looked somewhat reassuring. She wondered how long that might last.

“So,” Steve sighed, sitting down next to Bucky and Bailey fought down the urge to avert her gaze again. “How about we start from the beginning?” He suggested, meeting Bailey’s worried eyes for a moment before he moved to pour them glasses of wine.

“Okay,” She agreed quietly, watching as he added a couple of drops of the pink liquid to their wine glasses and not hers.

Her gaze flickered up for a moment to meet Bucky’s again, but he was just smiling encouragingly. “Okay,” She repeated nervously, rubbing suddenly sweaty palms over her jean clad thighs. “When you called,” She started, ignoring the slight pause in Steve’s pouring of their wine. “I had literally just found out I was expecting,” She confessed. “During the chaos of those few weeks, everything felt off, but I was sure it was just the stress of well, everything,” She admitted. “I mean aliens, right?” She laughed nervously and looked away.

“But there was one night, I was lying in bed with Jack and I just had the strangest feeling when he put his head on my stomach and it’s not like he never does that-does it all the time even. But I just had a _what if_ moment. T-the next morning, I went to the drug store and everything was still a mess, but I told you that our block was mostly untouched. We were very lucky.”

Steve was nodding, but she was too busy staring down at her hands as they fiddled in her lap. She sighed then and murmured a quiet _thank you_ when Steve leaned in to her field of vision and handed her a glass of wine.

“I-I took the test and while I was in the middle of panicking, realizing that uh, that the condom most likely broke and we didn’t-“

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” Steve blurted and Bailey looked to him quickly. “I thought it felt a little, ah- _strange_ -when-“ He cleared his throat slightly. “When I went to clean myself up. I should have noticed something was off.”

Bailey made a comforting noise then and shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault, Steve and you know I’m not even mad,” She chuckled, giving him a warm smile.

Steve huffed a reluctant laugh and both Bucky and Bailey smiled in response.

“Anyway,” She sighed, shifting to make herself more comfortable in her seat and taking a quick sip of her wine. “That was the morning you called, Steve.”

“And fucked everything up.” He sighed, scrubbing a hand roughly over his face.

“Steve, even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could have told you right then, especially not over the phone,” She admitted quietly, frown firmly in place.

“Why?” He questioned, brows furrowed in obvious confusion.

Bailey’s gaze softened as she fiddled with her wine glass once more. “If I had told you that I was pregnant, what would you have done?”

Steve blinked, but didn’t hesitate in his answer. “I would have been there in a heartbeat. I would have been there for you both, Bailey, you have to know that.”

Baileys smile was sad then. “I know that, Steve. I do.”

“But that was the problem, wasn’t it?” Bucky asked, drawing both of their gazes.

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand,” Steve said and Bailey’s gaze softened even further.

“How would I ever know if you stayed because you loved me or if you stayed because I was carrying your child?” She whispered. “I would not have believed that you were staying for me and not the baby, Steve.”

“What?” He asked faintly. “H-how could you think-“

“You were Captain America, not just Steve Rogers anymore. I knew that you might not be able to be there for me going forward, not in the same way as b-before everything came to light.”

She frowned down into her glass of wine and then took a sip, knowing it wouldn’t even affect her the same way anymore. “I would have convinced myself that you had stayed out of an obligation to me and the baby. I would have always doubted our relationship. I’m sure of it.”

Steve was left speechless for entirely too long, but Bailey wasn’t in any sort of rush to further the conversation. Bucky on the other hand…

“You know she’s right,” Bucky said gently, reaching out to rest his hand against the blond’s thigh, drawing his attention. “Do you think you would have stayed if she told you she was pregnant, regardless of the danger it might put her in? You didn’t want to stay with her because you were trying to protect her and if she’d told you she was pregnant-”

“I wouldn’t have let her outta’ the house,” He mumbled, rubbing at his temples.

Bucky huffed. Steve was such an overprotective bastard at the worst of times.

Bailey chuckled softly, but she was smiling gently across at them. “I wouldn’t have been happy living in fear all the time, Steve. Feeling like I was in danger no matter what I did. I couldn’t put our child through that. But on our own…no one knew who we were, no one knew you had any connection to me,” She shrugged. “It was safer for me not to tell you.”

Steve looked down at Bucky’s hand still settled atop his thigh and tried to think about how he’d been feeling then. “I loved you, Bailey,” He confessed, bringing his gaze slowly back up to hers, watching as she swallowed thickly and looked away. “I truly did and I never told you. But I meant what I said that day. I couldn’t let you get involved in all of this-“ He told her, gesturing to nothing and everything at once.

Bailey nodded, her throat tight. “We hadn’t known each other long-“

“You and I both know that didn’t matter,” Steve interrupted hoarsely and Bailey snapped her jaw shut at the tone.

It was true. It didn’t matter. She had never experienced a connection like that with anyone before. But looking back, she knew she couldn’t have forced him to stay because she was pregnant. She could never do that to him, to anyone. Ever.

“You know that I would never hold your decision to leave against you, Steve. I told you then and I swear by it now. I knew what I was doing when I didn’t tell you I was pregnant.”

“But you were alone,” Steve stressed and he sounded so saddened at the very notion.

Bailey nodded, brows pinched slightly. “I was a big girl, Steve, I could handle it.”

Steve let out a sad noise at that and scrubbed a hand down his face, nodding in an attempt to collect himself. “Tell us about the pregnancy,” Bucky urged gently, trying to give his husband a moment.

She blew out a rough breath at that, leaning back in her chair. “It…wasn’t a walk in the park,” She admitted, grimacing slightly.

Steve winced and she smiled apologetically at him. “I was, not well during the first few months. I was sick a lot, sensitive to most foods, even if I _was_ always hungry,” She sighed, rubbing at her temple. “I thought maybe I was just overreacting. Pregnancy isn’t supposed to be easy, so I thought it must be mostly normal. But then...” She trailed off and Steve swallowed thickly at the pause.

 _But then, what?_ He wondered.

“I...well, I was hungry all the time and when I finally stopped throwing it all up, I realized that I was eating for more than just two and yet I wasn’t gaining any weight. At least not enough to even out the amount of calories I was ingesting.”

She paused and took a sip of her wine, shifting in her seat. “My doctor said that it was completely normal and not to worry so much, so...I didn’t...until I started breaking things.”

“What?” Steve asked flatly.

Bailey took a deeper breath and first met Bucky’s reassuring gaze before turning her attention to Steve. She owed him that much. “Somehow,” She started carefully. “The serum must have-affected-me.”

Steve went unnaturally still at Bucky’s side and he was forced to squeeze the man’s thigh gently in response. “I don’t know if it changed me exactly or if James carried it and passed it to me too-I-“ She shook her head, lost. “I really have no idea, just theories.”

She frowned, looking down at where she was cradling her glass of wine. “I started becoming more healthy, my cuts and any random injuries healed within hours. I had more energy than I knew what to do with, especially as a pregnant woman and I was hungry _all_ of the time,” She groaned.

Steve exhaled roughly through his nose and she looked up at him with a wobbly smile. “You could not have known that something like that could have happened,” She assured him.

“I-I know, but why did you lie to us, a-about James not having the serum?”

Bailey looked away at that, unable to face him right then. ‘We keep it a secret. It-“ She shook her head gently. “Not even Nick or Maria know. May, Peter’s aunt, she destroyed all of our blood work at my request. I knew it would put both of us at risk if anyone found out,” She explained.

“He doesn’t-“ She shrugged a little, thinking over her wording. “He didn’t even show many signs in the beginning of having it anyway. I was just overly cautious. He had so many allergies as a baby. He had severe jaundice and for some reason, he couldn’t seem to put on much weight. It was a struggle at first.”

“The asthma?” Steve asked quietly.

“He does have asthma...but over the last year or so, it’s gotten so much better. His weight has gone up. His energy level-so _many_ of his allergies are just- _gone_ -“ She explained. “It’s like he’s just getting better, healthier and healthier everyday. Even his hearing has improved. Eye-sight too.”

Steve swallowed hard and nodded. “I see.”

“I am sorry that I didn’t tell you. I was afraid and I-“ She shook her head. “I had no idea if it would be too-“ She faltered again and Steve sighed.

“It’s okay,” He consoled. “I understand.”

Bailey breathed out slowly and nodded, trying to will away the heat building behind her eyes. They were quiet for a long moment and then Steve cleared his throat. “Peter said that-” He blew out a breath before he could seem to voice himself properly. “He said that your labour was-that you almost-“ He shook his head, unable to continue and she frowned, taking pity on him.

“I almost bled out in the delivery room,” She finished and Steve set down his wine glass hastily, lest he break it.

Both Bailey and Bucky’s hearts broke at the sight of him as he practically doubled over and put his head in his hands.

“Hey,” She whispered, wishing more than anything that she could reach out to him. “I’m right here, Steve,” She assured. “It was apparently a close call, but the doctors and nurses saved my life and besides, by then I had met Nick and Maria and once I heard James’ little cry-I-I knew that he would make his way to you, should anything happen to me.”

Steve swallowed past the lump lodged in his throat and looked up at her, his beautiful blue eyes searching hers almost desperately. “I could never have done what you did, Bailey. I could never have raised him alone, not like you.”

Bailey shook her head, a tentative smile gracing her lips. “You would have though. You would have taken wonderful care of him, Steve. You will now, anyhow.”

Steve averted his gaze and nodded, unable to speak. He knew without a shadow off a doubt that he would go to the ends of the earth and then some to protect James, to protect those he loved. He always had and always would.

Somehow, he was sure that they both knew that.

“It still must have been hard,” Bucky offered quietly. “Raising him by yourself.”

Bailey took a long sip of her drink and nodded. “It wasn’t easy, but…it’s been so rewarding, even if a bit lonely,” She confessed without thinking.

Steve let out another one of those terribly sad noises and she glanced to him nervously. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” She scolded, waving him off. “It let you find Bucky,” She told him, swallowing hard as she met the man’s gaze. “You both deserve a happy ending.”

“And what about you?” Bucky queried, unable to help himself.

This woman was so self sacrificial it was killing him and also sort of making him like her just that much more.

“Don’t you deserve to have a happy ending too?”

She swallowed hard and shrugged, avoiding both of their gazes now. “Maybe, but I am happy. I have James and the shop. I have Jack, all of our friends and-and all of you now,” She trailed off. “I have found friends, I-I think, in all of you. Your Team.”

“Of course you have,” Steve agreed hastily. “You will always have us,” He reassured, watching as she took a bigger sip of her wine, her freckled cheeks now healthily flushed, even if it wasn’t from the alcohol.

Steve tried not to stare.

“But don’t you want more?” Bucky asked her tentatively.

He could feel Steve’s gaze turn to him then, but he didn’t take his gaze off of where Bailey had been staring down at her wine glass. Only now, now she was staring straight back at him, her gorgeously dark eyes so incredibly round, spooked.

Bucky didn’t let it deter him.

“Don’t you?” He repeated gently, so, so gently.

She swallowed thickly and Bucky watched as her gaze jumped momentarily to Steve and then back to him. “Yes, but…”

“But what?” Bucky pressed, perhaps a bit too quickly.

Bailey stood abruptly then, but thankfully didn’t spill what little wine remained in her glass as she set it down on the coffee table. “I’m-“ She swallowed hard and looked away and Bucky was sure that her hands had started shaking. “I think I'm going to head to bed now. I’m quite tired. I-if you have anymore questions, I’m sure I can answer them later.”

“Bailey-“ Bucky started, ready to apologize, Steve already rising to his feet to try and get her to stay.

The brittle smile she gave them was heartbreaking as her gaze flickered between them both. “Sorry, I think there’s just been a little too much excitement today and I’m still not quite myself. I-“ She shook her head. “Thank you for the wine. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

Neither could seem to find their voice as she pretty well fled from the room, however. Steve remained standing for a long moment before he sighed and sat down heavily at Bucky’s side.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky mumbled, frowning down at his mismatched hands.

Steve sighed and shook his head, taking his husband’s wine glass and setting it on the coffee table. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Buck.”

Bucky frowned but bit his tongue to keep from disagreeing. There was no point in arguing with Steve.

Steve cradled both of Bucky’s hands carefully in his as he turned to sit sideways on the sofa, Bucky’s gaze settling on their intertwined fingers. “I still didn’t mean to scare her off.”

“I know, love,” He consoled, stroking careful fingers over Bucky’s hands. “I just don’t think she’s ready. M-may be she doesn’t want a happy ending with me. Maybe she’s moved on and doesn’t-“

“No-“ Bucky interrupted sharply, startling Steve with his vehemence. “She does, Steve. Believe me when I say that she definitely wants that with you. She wants a happy ending with you, I’m sure of it.”

Steve swallowed hard but didn’t argue with him. “I just pushed too hard and I’m sorry. She’s-“ He shook his head. “I think she’s feeling more vulnerable than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know she still loves you, Steve. The way she looks at you, whether you’re with James or not, she looks at you like you’re the most important person in the room. She doesn’t look at you like most people do, either.”

Steve frowned. “No?”

“No, she looks at you and she sees _you_ ,” He stressed, squeezing Steve’s hands lightly.

Steve nodded, worrying at his lower lip. “I was just Steve Rogers to her at first, not Captain America. I was afraid that once she knew who I really was, she wouldn’t be able to see past the shield.”

Bucky hummed thoughtfully, untangling his flesh hand to reach up and cup his husband’s cheek. He watched as Steve’s lashes fluttered shut and leaned in to press a soft kiss to his pinking cheek. “I think you should have given her more credit than that.”

Steve made a quiet noise of agreement and leaned into the warm caress as Bucky sighed deeply, the blond’s lashes fluttering once again to reveal those baby-blues he loved so much.

“There you are,” Bucky whispered and Steve smiled fondly.

“I didn’t go anywhere,” Steve hummed, turning to press his lips to Bucky’s palm.

“I know, sugar,” He whispered, tracing his thumb along the blond’s bottom lip, shivering lightly as Steve exhaled shakily and tentatively parted his lips, welcoming Bucky’s thumb inside like so many times before.

Bucky groaned as Steve’s warm lips wrapped snugly around the digit and his breathing hitched when Bucky pressed it between his lips just a touch further. “ _Oh_ …don’t you start, Stevie,” Bucky warned, watching as he pulled back a bit to laugh.

“Me?” He huffed. “You’re the one being all sweet and seductive.”

“Well, how am I s’posed to resist when you look so pretty? When your _mouth_ looks so pretty,” Bucky sighed, pressing his thumb back between his lovers plush lips.

Steve made a helplessly needy noise then and Bucky groaned. “And I can’t even _do_ anything,” He groaned in frustration, looking down at his battered and bruised self.

Steve smirked and shook his head. “I'm sorry, love. Only another day or so and then you can get your hands all over me.”

Bucky grumbled and looked over at his Stevie. “You bet your ass I will. So not fair, baby doll.”

“No, it isn’t,” He agreed.

They sat in relative quiet for a while after that, drinking their wine and just, being in each others space. They did talk for a while about other things, both with James and Bailey still clearly on their minds, however. But as more time passed and their conversation lulled as they finished the bottle of wine, their thoughts gradually drifted elsewhere. Well, Steve’s did.

Steve sighed almost wistfully then, easily drawing Bucky’s curious gaze. “What?”

Smiling over at the blond, he watched as Steve shifted to press his back up against the arm rest and tuck his socked feet beneath Bucky’s thigh.

“Oh, nothing,” He sighed and Bucky arched a brow at him in disbelief.

Steve hummed in amusement, rolling his eyes when Bucky clearly wasn’t going to let it a rest. “Oh, _fine_ ,” Steve sighed and it was all long-suffering.

Bucky tried really hard not to grin.

“If you must know,” Steve started haughtily as he fixed Bucky with a _look_. “I really just want to sit on your dick.”

Bucky made a strangled noise of surprise and yet, he wasn’t at all surprised when Steve smirked at him like the cat that caught the canary.

“ _Steve-_ “ Bucky said, sounding scandalized.

“ _What?_ ” He defended, shrugging his shoulders in mock annoyance. “You wanted to know.”

Bucky groaned under his breath and pressed the cool metal of his hand against his heated cheeks. “You are such a shit. What are you tryin’ta do to me, Stevie?”

Steve squirmed a little in his seat and shrugged and Bucky narrowed his eyes at the tell-tale flush that was spreading down the blond’s throat. “Damn it, Steve. How much of Thor’s liqueur did you have?”

Steve giggled…and truly, that was answer enough. Bucky groaned, _loudly_. He _loved_ a tipsy Steve. He was always up for a bit of a treat when the blond decided to indulge. Alcohol always did manage to loosen his tongue a fair bit. Make him hot for it.

“You feeling it, sugar? Feeling it so bad that all you can think about is my cock?” Bucky teased, voice already lowering as he pressed the heel of his hand over his cock, feeling himself over his pants.

Steve made a rather embarrassing sound at the sight but nodded, his gaze snapping down to watch Bucky’s hand tease at himself over his joggers. Bucky chuckled softly and tipped his head slightly, considering.

“What?” Steve huffed petulantly, prompting Bucky’s smile to grow.

Steve eyed him a touch warily. “Why don’t you? Sit on my cock, that is,” He clarified, watching in delight as Steve’s cheeks flushed impossibly darker.

“ _Bucky_ ,” He hissed. “That’s-“ He shook his head quickly. “You’re injured. I can’t. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Bucky hummed and reached for Steve’s wrist, lightly tugging him closer and of course Steve let himself be pulled, but just. “Come on, you really think I can’t take you? You won’t hurt me, but you will have to do most of the work,” Bucky teased, gaze flickering over his lover’s frame.

Steve’s cheeks darkened further and Bucky’s smile turned a little crooked. “You wanna’ show off for me, baby? Wanna’ sit in my lap and ride this cock?”

Steve made an unintelligibly _wounded_ noise and nodded, licking his lips in anticipation. “Yes, Buck. Come on, I’ll put the glasses away in the morning.”

Steve was already up and out of his seat, despite the fact that Bucky still had a light hold of his wrist. “Not so fast, sugar,” Bucky chuckled, watching as the blond stilled, looking down at him in confusion.

Bucky tried to keep his smirk in check. “What’s wrong with the couch?” He asked, all too innocently.

Steve heard the words, he did. He just didn’t understand-

“ _Bucky-_ “ He choked, beyond scandalized once the words finally made _sense_.

He shot a nervous look over his shoulder towards the hallway that led to their rooms. “Yes, Steve?” Bucky raised a brow in challenge.

Steve squirmed in place, gaze flickering over Bucky’s face once again. “We can’t, not out here. W-what if-“

“What if she hears us?” Bucky filled in for him, voice dripping with promise.

Steve flushed right to the tips of his ears and Bucky gave him his best smile. “You tellin’ me you _don’t_ like the idea of her hearing us?”

Steve choked on air, his bright blue eyes so round and pleading before a whimper managed to escape him. Bucky gave his wrist a light tug and was pleased when he came willingly, letting him pull him practically into his lap-mindful of his raised leg of course-even if he resisted at the last possible second.

“Bucky,” Steve said helplessly and the brunet hummed.

“Why you puttin’ up such a fuss, honey? I thought you wanted to sit on it?”

Steve groaned in aroused embarrassment and scrubbed a hand roughly over his now flaming cheeks. “I- _Bucky_ -“ He practically whined and the brunet laughed.

“That all you can say, doll?”

Steve groaned. “You are a menace, you know that?”

Bucky smiled all too innocently. “Who? _Me_?”

“Yes, you,” Steve muttered with a roll of his eyes, but he moved closer when Bucky pulled him in.

And by closer, I mean he moved to straddle his husband’s thighs, mindful of his outstretched leg.

“I don't want to hurt you, Buck,” He sighed, ever so gently letting some of his weight down on Bucky’s strong thighs, the brunet’s hands moving to grasp his hips.

“You won’t, Stevie,” He assured, obviously pleased by where this was going. “It’s just my shin, my ankle and ribs aren’t even all that bad anymore.”

Steve frowned but let a little more of his weight settle on Bucky’s thick thighs. He was biting his lower lip worriedly though and Bucky hummed under his breath. “Are you actually worried about her hearing us, doll?” Bucky asked gently, reaching up to cup the blond’s cheek, smiling when he leaned in to his touch easily.

“Not-not really,” He admitted shyly, unsure about how that would be received. “I’m more worried about James hearing or _worse_ , walking in on us,” He chuckled. “I might feel just a bit guilty though, if Bailey were to hear us.”

“Why’s that, doll?” Bucky whispered, reaching up to lightly card careful fingers through his much shorter hair.

“I don’t want her to think that I don’t want her l-like this, too,” He managed to say, even if it was in nothing but a whisper.

“Oh, Stevie,” Bucky sighed, reaching to cup the back of his neck to urge him down for a sweet kiss.

Steve all but melted into it, a soft whimper escaping him as Bucky’s tongue slid teasingly against his lower lip not a moment later. It was so easy kissing Bucky, giving himself over to him. Bucky would always take care of him.

“I don’t think she was entirely clueless about what I was trying to say to her,” Bucky mumbled when their kiss broke, lightly nuzzling Steve’s nose with his own.

“And yet, we still managed to scare her off,” Steve hummed, resting his forehead against Bucky’s.

Bucky sighed and dropped his hands to Steve’s hips once again, giving him a gentle squeeze as Steve’s hands moved to Bucky’s shoulders. “I think she was just feeling a little too overwhelmed, honey,” Bucky consoled. “I don't think she was saying no, not exactly. Maybe we weren’t entirely clear, either.”

Steve let out a shaky breath and Bucky tugged him in closer. He let his hands splay wide against Bucky’s chest, feeling the slow rise and fall with every sure breath that filled his lungs. He hummed softly and Steve felt the vibration through his palms.

“Maybe,” Bucky breathed, voice having gone much quieter. “She would hear us...and see what she could have, what she’s missing.”

Steve made a strangled sound, his hands suddenly clutching at Bucky’s chest and making the brunet grunt in surprise.

“Wouldn't that be somethin’, doll? Have her hear us, maybe even _see_ us…”

“ _Bucky-_ “ Steve very nearly whined, scandalized and embarrassed and far too turned on. “We shouldn’t.”

“We should,” Bucky pressed, giving Steve’s hips another squeeze and rocking him gently in his lap. “This was your idea in the first place and I bet she would _love_ to see you fall apart for me. See you taking what you need. You’re so beautiful, so gorgeous when you’re taking your pleasure,” Bucky breathed, pleased when Steve shuddered and pressed his hips forward, grinding up against his abs, and then, “I bet she fell apart beautifully for you, didn’t she, Stevie?”

Steve whimpered and nodded, long lashes fluttering to kiss the tops of his still flushed cheeks, seemingly unable to listen to his husband say such things and Bucky knew that he’d won.

“She was- _is-_ so beautiful, Buck,” Steve confessed quietly, shifting his hips restlessly in his lover’s grasp.

Bucky didn’t even think he knew he was doing it. He hummed and pressed another kiss to Stevie’s plush lips. “She is, sweetheart. I can only imagine what she looked like stretched out beneath you, naked and whimpering,” Bucky whispered, nipping lightly at the blond’s jaw.

“S-she was s-slimmer before,” He whispered. “M-much more um, lean, I guess? Not that she’s-“

“I know, Stevie,” Bucky chuckled softly, interrupting him. “Now she’s got a little more to her, yeah? Still slim, just… _softer._ Motherhood looks good on her,” He teased, winking at his lover.

Steve let out an embarrassing noise of want, nodding as he ground down against Bucky’s lap, feeling the heat of him, the pulse of him, even through all of their layers. Bucky grunted softly as Steve did so and then he was tipping his head back and exposing more of his throat to Bucky’s hungry gaze.

“She’s so gorgeous, Buck,” He confessed on a gasp. “She was so goddamn beautiful then, too. You got no idea.” He whimpered, arching his back as Bucky urged him into a filthy grind.

“Mmm...you want to tell me about it, honey? Want to squirm on my cock and tell me what it was like? What she sounded like, what she looked like?”

Steve whimpered and there was so much blood in his cheeks, Bucky wasn’t sure he would have any left to fill his cock.

He needn’t have worried of course.

It took no time at all before they’d fished the lube out from its hiding place in one of the coffee table drawers and before long Steve had lost his sweats somewhere, had his t-shirt practically torn from his frame and had three of Bucky’s thick warm fingers working in and out of his greedy hole while Bucky whispered filthy praise in that much loved Brooklyn drawl.

“Come on, doll,” Bucky urged. “Pull me out, yeah? I feel like I’m bein’ strangled.”

Steve whimpered and shifted back from where he’d been straddling Bucky’s thighs and grinding down on Bucky's fingers greedily, clearly reluctant to move too far away. He fumbled at the waistband of Bucky’s joggers, tugging them down rough and awkward when Bucky couldn’t seem to lift his hips in a timely manner. Of course he wasn’t even wearing any underwear.

“Strangled, my ass,” Steve mumbled, ignoring Bucky’s soft laugh before he grunted in surprise when Steve’s sure hand grasped him, stroking him roughly a couple of times.

“Quit dickin’ around,” Bucky snipped, attempting to thrust up into his lovers hand and failing, his palm surprisingly slick with lube.

Steve giggled and Bucky rolled his eyes as he wiped his still lube covered fingers on Steve’s hip, only receiving a slight grimace in response. In the next moment, Steve was raising himself up on his knees and gripping Bucky’s cock firmly to guide it back to where he needed it most. And then they were _both_ groaning when Steve began sinking down on him with practised ease.

“Fuck,” Bucky breathed, thighs flexing and abs straining against the urge to thrust up, but he remained still in his seat.

Not like he could move a whole lot anyway. His shin _did_ still hurt a bit and he’d like to not snap it again before it’d had a chance to fully heal.

“That’s it, doll,” He whispered hoarsely, tendons in his throat straining as he looked up at his baby. “Takin’ me so well, Stevie. Always do.”

Steve whimpered, teeth sunk in to his plump bottom lip and making the once pink skin appear white, drained of blood. “ _Bucky-_ “ He choked, spine arching as he took more and more of his husband’s thick cock inside him.

“ _Christ-_ “ Bucky muttered, feeling strangled in an entirely different way now. “Never gets old. Watchin’ you take me like this, sweetheart.”

Steve could only whimper in response, lashes fluttering and chest heaving, breath hitching and a soft whine attempting to get past his now clenched teeth as Bucky’s hands skirted up along his chest and then _raked_ a path back down his abdomen.

Bucky groaned loudly as Steve finally sunk fully onto him, his cock buried so deep inside that warm, slick heat. Steve was trembling terribly in his grasp-he _always_ did at first-and Bucky had to consciously will himself to relax his grip when his hands naturally fell to the blond’s hips, ready to urge him into movement.

They were both panting by the time Steve was ready to start moving and honestly, it wasn’t a moment too soon. “That’s it, baby doll,” Bucky sighed, resisting the urge to tip his head back against the sofa and just let himself _feel_ as Steve gently swivelled his hips, getting a feel for him. “You gonna’ ride me, honey?” He coaxed, gently urging Steve to rock slightly in his lap.

“Y-yeah, Buck,” He hummed, already cock drunk and rocking his hips, making them both moan at the feeling.

Bucky hummed as he skated his hands up the length of his sides, letting his thumbs swipe teasingly over Steve’s perfectly pink nipples and making him hiss. “Talk to me, Stevie,” He urged, licking his lips in anticipation. “Tell me about what it was like with her.”

Steve whimpered, torn between wanting to tell him and so goddamn embarrassed, feeling _guilty_ for wanting to.

He nodded anyway, licking his lips as he began to raise and lower his hips a bit more steadily. “Beautiful, Buck,” He breathed, a confession. “You got no idea how beautiful she looked,” He gasped, listening to Bucky’s pleased hum in response.

.

Bailey sighed deeply from the bathroom doorway, her gaze following the steady rise and fall of James’ little chest, one of his skinny arms thrown over Jack’s body in sleep. He was out like a light. They both were.

She’d opted to take a shower when she’d come back to the room before climbing into bed with them both and she hadn’t regretted her decision. She felt much more relaxed and although still a little damp, she was content. They had endless hot water here apparently and with all the fancy spigots in the shower, she was sure she was in Heaven.

She sighed, almost ready for bed herself. She absently towelled off her wet hair in a pathetic attempt to dry the strands and went to put the towel back on the warming rack by the tub and tried not to roll her eyes at that again. _A warming rack…seriously?_

She’d turned down the lights in the room before she’d gone to take a shower and as she went to turn out the light by her bedside, she realized she’d forgotten to pour herself a glass of water. James almost always woke her up for water in the middle of the night and she didn’t want to have to get up later if she could get it now. She was rather thirsty herself, actually.

She frowned and rubbed at her temple in annoyance. _Oh well, they’ve probably already gone to bed. It is rather late_ , she thought, glancing over at the clock on the wall by the door. 11:43pm.

She huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose before adjusting her plain black t-shirt and tugging the hem of her grey workout shorts down a little lower. They were definitely short and not fit for public. But…it’d be fine. They’d already be asleep. They wouldn’t even see her.

And with that thought, she opened the bedroom door with a soft breath and headed down the hall. She’d barely made it the five steps it took to reach the end of the hallway, however, before the sound of quiet moaning reached her ears. She froze, caught off guard and more than a little startled. Because-because that sounded a lot like _Steve_ moaning.

She clapped a hand over her wide open mouth and only just managed to suppress a squeak. _Oh my God!_ Her mind screamed. They…they couldn’t honestly be… _they’re in the living room!_ She practically choked on her next breath when she heard Bucky’s breathy, “Yeah, honey, that’s it. Move a little- _yeah_ ,” He sighed, letting out a rough groan. “Go on, honey, tell me more. _Christ_ , you’ve got me so hard.”

Steve whined softly and Bailey was certain she would be deafened by the sound of skin slapping against skin. Oh my _God_ , but they were _fucking_ in the _living room!_ She inwardly whimpered and she was going to sneak back into the bedroom any moment now. She _swore_ she would. _Honestly_. Until she heard Steve’s breathy gasp of, “ _Buck_ , she was so tight. I-I never knew it could feel like that.”

Bailey stilled, caught there on the threshold where she could see the faint glow of the lights just barely reaching her feet. Thankfully, she was still in the shadows. But uh…were-were they talking about…? They couldn’t actually-

“Oh, _Buck_ ,” Steve breathed, gasping, choking down a moan. “She was warm and w-wet and I knew that I wasn’t-wasn’t gonna’ last if she so much as trembled when I’d barely even gotten inside her.”

Bucky hummed under his breath, but Bailey could hear their laboured breathing, their constant moans. “I bet, sweetheart. I bet she made the sweetest sounds too, stretched so prettily under you, yeah?”

“Yeah, Bucky, _yes_ ,” He gasped and Bailey’s heart tripped over itself before it started beating wildly behind her ribs.

“She was so sweet, so gorgeous. Never seen someone like her before,” Steve confessed in a whimper. “Her hair was laid out on the bed b-behind her, all caramel and dark coffee-that’s what it reminds me of-“ Steve gasped and Bailey barely resisted the urge to gasp at the very idea that they were discussing her while having _sex_.

Because who _else_ could they be discussing?

She inwardly groaned, worrying her lower lip and tried to lock her knees so they wouldn’t give out on her unexpectedly. It was a valid concern.

“She’s sweet,” Bucky agreed gruffly, voice lower- _rougher-_ than she’d ever heard it. “I bet she had you begging to come, didn’t she? I’m surprised you didn’t go off the second she got a hand ‘round your prick.”

Steve choked back a hoarse cry and Bailey had to forcefully stifle the needy noise that wanted to escape with the palm of her hand.

“I almost did,” Steve whimpered and he let out a particularly startled cry and _Christ,_ but Bailey wondered what had made him make a sound like that. “I t-thought she was going to accidentally brush me an’ I was gonna’ go off.”

Bucky chuckled darkly and Bailey could hear him grunting as Steve let out a quiet sob. “W-wouldn’t be as if you couldn’t get it up again so soon,” He teased. “You probably would have stayed hard anyway. Pretty girl like that lookin’ up at you.”

Steve whined desperately and Bailey simply couldn’t resist taking another step closer to the edge of the room, pressing her free hand against the wall for support. Still blessedly out of sight.

“Y-yeah, would’ve been too easy. The way she was clutchin’ at me, lookin’ at me. Her thighs felt so good wrapped around me-“ He gasped and Bailey couldn’t resist the full body shiver at how hoarse his voice had become.

“I really wanted to have them wrapped around my head.”

The confession nearly bowled her over and she leaned heavily against the wall as Bucky let out a desperate groan. “I bet you’d look so good between her legs, baby doll. Did you get a taste of her?”

“N-no,” Steve stuttered and Bailey held her breath as she attempted to peek past the open doorway; she really couldn’t resist. “But I wanted to.”

Bucky grunted harshly and Bailey couldn’t stop the breath that rushed from her lungs at the sight of them and she barely had the presence of mind to cover her mouth with the palm of her hand to stifle the sound.

They were stunningly beautiful. Steve sitting atop Bucky’s lap, all gloriously pale skin covered in a sheen of sweat, head thrown back and eyes closed in absolute bliss as he took Bucky’s cock over and over and over again. She wanted to groan and felt blindsided with lust as she caught sight of Bucky biting down harshly on his lower lip as his eyes flickered over his husband’s frame, taking in the absolutely wondrous sight he made. _God,_ but Bucky was just as gorgeous as his lover, even if he wasn’t showing off much skin.

“They’re so sweet, honey,” Bucky sighed. “You think eating my ass is good-“ Bailey choked on her own spit at the notion, “But let me tell you, Stevie. They get so wet, so slick. _Fuck_ -and they smell so damn good!”

Steve whimpered and Bailey watched in shock as Steve raised himself up onto his knees, planted on either side of Bucky’s waist, only to mewl in obvious pleasure as he sank back down onto his lover’s thick, _glorious_ -

Bailey was biting her bottom lip so hard she drew blood.

“Bucky, I-I can’t-“

“Yes,” He growled. “You can, doll. Just a little more, come on, you can take it. _No-_ “ Bucky hissed. “Don’t you touch yourself. You come on my cock or not at all,” He ordered and Bailey’s knees grew weak.

She barely managed to catch herself with a hand against the wall when such an incredibly strong wave of arousal coursed through her at the words. Her lashes fluttered and it was in that instant, Bucky’s grey-blue orbs flickered towards the darkened doorway and her therein. But she’d missed that entirely and by the time she had her eyes back on the scene before her, his gaze was already back on Steve.

“That’s it, doll. Come on, move those hips. I don’t think you really want it-“

“I do!” Steve cried softly, a needy whimper escaping him as he braced his hands on the back of the sofa and started to ride his husband for all he was worth.

Bucky tipped his head back against the cushions and Bailey felt entirely too breathless as she let herself look at them both. Their flushed skin, their hair matted to their temples, their harsh breaths filling the space. She was absolutely beside herself. Bucky hadn’t even _undressed_ , for crying out loud. From what she could see of him, his pants were shoved down just far enough to get his cock out and his t-shirt was shoved up only

far enough to expose his abs.

But _Steve?_ Steve was entirely naked. His back was glistening with sweat, skin flushed a healthy pink and _oh_ , but those _muscles_. There was just so _many._ He was making the sweetest sounds too. She must be dreaming. That or she’d fallen in the shower and hit her head.

Steve had his head thrown back, his eyes closed in absolute bliss, just about every goddamn muscle flexing as he sought out his pleasure. “Bet you had her callin’ out for you, doll. Bet you loved hearin’ it too. Must have sounded so sweet,” Bucky gasped, his metal hand clenching against Steve’s hip and forcing him to come down that much harder on his next downward slide.

He growled when Steve sat down hard and the blond rocked his hips in desperate little circles, hard and dirty and she just knew he had to be impossibly deep then. “Yes, I-“ Steve whimpered and Bailey watched in helpless awe as he rocked his hips that much more desperately.

“T-there you go, honey. That’s it,” Bucky praised coaxing the blond to start bouncing again. “Imagine if she could see how prettily you fall apart for me, Stevie. Imagine if she could see you ridin’ this cock like a fuckin’ _champ_ , ready to shoot off the moment I say-“ He paused and Steve let out an impossibly desperate squeal that had Bailey nearly gasping in blinding arousal. “Come,” Bucky ordered and Bailey was entirely unprepared for Bucky’s gaze to suddenly snap to her over Steve’s glistening shoulder.

Bailey’s lips parted, her cheeks paling almost as fast as they then practically lit on _fire_ at being caught. She was entirely too distracted in that same instant, however, as Stere did just as he was told; coming harder than Bailey could have ever anticipated.

He curled forward, his hands suddenly gripping tightly at Bucky’s hair and dragging him in for a messy kiss. Bucky groaned deeply into the kiss as his lashes fluttered and then he was coming too. His hips snapped up as much as he was able and he let out a soft whimper and then a breathy curse as he pinned Steve there on his cock, hips twitching as he came inside his lover.

Bailey wasted exactly zero-seconds before she was darting back towards her room on impossibly shaky legs. How the fuck she even _got there_ was a miracle in and of itself. With a carefully quiet snick, she shut the door behind her and barely managed to keep herself upright as she made her way towards the bathroom. She quietly shut and locked the door behind her and no sooner had she done so did her legs give out and she sank to the floor.

She almost burst into tearful laughter, because of _course_ the floor was heated! “Oh my _God_ ,” She breathed, clasping her hands over her mouth to try and quiet her panting breaths. _You just walked in on them having sex._ ** _Having sex!_** _You are so hopeless, it’s disgusting._

She let out a ragged moan and knocked her head back against the bathroom door, wincing at the sound. The last thing she needed was to wake up James with her pathetic-ness. To top it all off, Bucky had _seen her,_ but dear God, she was in so, _so_ much trouble. Because there was no way Bucky wasn’t going to out her to Steve.

“Oh my God,” She gasped again, tipping her head back against the door and looked up at the ceiling. “You are so, _so_ fucked,” She muttered.

And _what the fuck?_ _They were talking about me?_ _They had to be-but…why?_

She worried her lower lip for a while but was soon distracted by the fact that she had seen them having _sex_. She groaned in exasperation at herself and scrubbed a hand roughly over her face, realizing she was still blushing to high Heaven and back.

“ _This._ This is what’s going to kill me,” She almost laughed. “But they were so damn beautiful,” She whimpered and held her face in her hands.

“And, now you’re turned on,” She muttered.

She couldn’t actually remember the last time she’d been turned on and she’d certainly never been turned on quite like this before. She moaned softly and yeah, she really, really was. She’d been so bloody panicked about the fact that she’d been caught that she hadn’t even noticed just how aroused she’d become at the sight of the pair.

She shifted, slightly uncomfortable now that she’d become aware of it. She was incredibly wet, but of course she was. She had just watched the two most attractive men on the _planet…_ have sex…and it looked so _good!_

It was rough and perfect and they moved together so seamlessly; like they were meant for each other. “They are,” She whimpered, rubbing a hand down her thigh nervously, fingers twitching with the urge to press between her legs and relieve some of the ache.

 _But that would be bad._ ** _So_** _bad_. She closed her eyes, letting herself think about how gorgeous they looked together and all she could think about was somehow crawling between them to share in their pleasure. She gasped softly at the errant thought, her eyes flying open and unable to help herself, put her hand between her thighs.

She let her fingers trail featherlight over her mound, feeling the heat of her core over her shorts. She moaned brokenly, unable to stop herself. In the next moment, she was shifting to lie down on the large plush bath mat only a foot away from her. She squirmed out of her shorts impatiently and didn’t bother to leave her panties on either.

She exhaled shakily as she let her fingers delve between her thighs and she nearly hissed as she met slick heat. Before she could overthink it, she was bringing her knees up and planting her feet on the plush rug.

“Oh-“ She gasped, biting down on her lower lip as she let her fingers slip along her clit and she was helpless not to let her eyes close as she thunked her head back against the floor.

It wasn’t going to take much at all for her to come. She wouldn’t be all that upset about it either. She whimpered, hips lifting slightly from the floor as she slipped the tips of her fingers down further to tease at her opening. She clamped a hand down over her mouth to stifle the rising cry in the back of her throat. She was already panting as she slipped first one and then two fingers inside of her, her body dragging them in greedily.

“ _Oh-_ “ She whimpered, twisting her fingers slightly to be able to swipe her thumb quickly over her throbbing clit.

The last coherent thought she had was of the look on Bucky’s face as he met her gaze and came with his cock buried inside of Steve. _Steve. Oh dear, God._

She came hard. Right there on the bathroom floor, body shaking with post orgasmic tremors, thighs quivering and chest heaving as she came down. The amount of slick that coated her fingers was downright obscene. _Filthy._ She couldn’t seem to stop shaking, even after she had surely come down. So of course the guilt had to sneak up and hit her then.

She exhaled shakily and forced herself to get up, clean herself up and redress. She avoided the mirror as she washed her hands meticulously and went to the bathroom door. She took a few deep breaths and opened the door. She would climb into bed with her son and Jack and try and surely fail to fall asleep.

She supposed it could have been worse. She could have walked in on them and they’d _both_ caught her. It’s not like it mattered anyway, because Bucky was definitely going to tell Steve on her. She was so, _so_ screwed.

Shutting her eyes tightly, she slipped under the covers and as she curled up around James she could only hope that she could will herself to sleep. Of course she was entirely unsuccessful. She heard the pair come down the hallway not long after and Steve giggled softly as they disappeared into their room, the door making a soft click as it shut.

She wanted to cry. Bucky must not have told him yet.

She tried-she really did-to fall asleep, but of course found herself sneaking out of the room around six in the morning when the apartment was still eerily quiet. She took Jack along with her and let him out for his morning business. Afterwards, with Jack fed, she curled up in one of the armchairs with a fresh cup of coffee.

The apartment was eerily quiet but she wasn’t at all surprised to hear muffled movement down the hall, no doubt Steve waking up and getting ready for his morning run. She was nervous about seeing him, worried Bucky had told him about her spying after they’d gone to bed or that Steve would somehow just _know._ Know that she’d seen them together. 

What was even more worrying, was the fact that she couldn’t seem to stop her gaze from wandering back to the sofa. To The Spot… The Spot, where she’d caught them fucking. Fucking and _talking about her_

and _ugh_ what if Steve just saw her _looking_ at the damned spot?

She swallowed thickly and squirmed in her seat slightly, taking another sip of her coffee and averting her gaze. It was going to be just fine. Surely it had to be. Right?

She was seriously about to whimper aloud when Steve stepped out into the living room and she’d barely heard the sound of his steps and then she was entirely too distracted because he…he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

She swallowed hard and tried not to give him an obvious once over as she caught him with his t-shirt in his hands and black athletic shorts hanging low on his hips. “ _Oh-_ ” He said, clearly surprised. “What are you doing up at this hour?” He asked her quietly, tugging on the shirt he’d had in his grasp.

“Oh, um, I just couldn’t sleep, I guess,” She only half lied. “I made coffee,” She offered and nearly shivered as Steve hummed, adjusting his shirt as he headed towards the aforementioned coffee.

The glimpse of that lovely Adonis belt of his making her belly heat.

She tried to relax, but only just managed to do so, now that his back was to her. “You going for a run?”

Steve hummed in answer and made his way back to the living room, perching himself on the edge of The Sofa. _The Sofa_. She tried not to stare, honestly, she did. “Yeah, want me to take Jack along with me?”

Bailey nodded and glanced over at the pup…who she swore was giving her judgy eyes.   
“Uh, that would be really nice of you. I think he would really enjoy that.”

Steve smiled softly and sipped at his coffee and Bailey just looked at him, unable to look away. Because how could she not? He was gorgeous no matter the time of day. Even now, he was stunningly handsome and looking as if he were still a bit sleepy and he had the most adorable bed-head.

She inwardly groaned and forced her gaze back to her cup of coffee because now all she could think about was the fact that he’d been a wreck of a man last night, riding Bucky’s cock into oblivion. She nearly whimpered at the thought.

“Sure, I won’t be gone long this morning anyway, I have some plans today, _actually-_ “ He shifted slightly and cleared his throat, easily drawing her attention; not that she’d ever taken it off him. “I wanted to ask...do you think it would be okay if I spent some time with James today? B-Bucky has a couple of appointments later this morning and I thought it might be nice to spend um, some time with him, just the two of us. I-if you think that’s okay?”

Bailey was nodding before she could stop herself, not that she would. “Of course you can, Steve. James would absolutely love that.”

Steve smiled, clearly relieved and Bailey’s gaze softened. “Yeah?” He asked, hopefully.

“Of course, Steve,” She agreed easily.

Steve blew out a breath and nodded, quickly glancing away before turning his attention to her and smiling at her tentatively. “That’s-that’s great and you-you can have the place all to yourself. Relax, order lunch, take a bath or just read.”

Bailey chuckled softly at that and looked up at him through her long lashes. “ _Ooh_ , keep talking dirty to me, Steve.”

She froze as soon as the words left her and she wasn’t the only one. Steve was staring at her in obvious surprise, with blue wide eyes and-and he was blushing furiously. “ _Oh-_ ” He practically squeaked.

Bailey flushed terribly. “ _Sorry-_ I didn’t mean-“ Steve burst out laughing and she startled before smiling tentatively at him.

“ _Sorry-_ “ He chuckled. “You just surprised me is all.”

Bailey huffed and took a sip of her coffee. “Surprised myself,” She muttered into her mug before clearing her throat slightly. “I would honestly love that, though,” She admitted. “Have some quiet time with just me. I don’t get to have that very often.”

Steve grinned a little crookedly at her. “I'll make sure you have the apartment all to yourself for the day, alright? You can relax, order food, watch a movie-”

“Sleep?”She asked hopefully and Steve smiled at her fondly.

“Of course,” He murmured.

Bailey sighed wistfully and nodded. “Perfect, I’ll get James ready in a while, fix him breakfast before you take him.”

“That sounds great, Bailey,” He told her. “I should get going,” He said, rising from his seat. “I-before I go, I wanted to apologize for last night.”

“What?” She blurted, face paling.

_Does he know already? Did Bucky tell him right after?_

“I know Buck and-well we didn’t mean to push you last night-“

“ _Steve-_ “ She interrupted, beyond relieved that it wasn’t what she’d thought.

“Don’t worry about it, really. It’s fine. I know you and Bucky weren’t trying to uh, to be mean or anything.”

Steve made a curious sound and nodded. “No, we would never,” He consoled. “We just-we just want you to know-“

“Mommy?” James called softly and they both looked over to see the boy standing at the edge of the room in the very same spot Bailey had found herself in last night, looking at them with tired, bleary eyes.

Bailey was already getting up before she realized she was doing so. “Hey, honey,” She greeted, bending to scoop him up into her arms before Jack got any bright ideas to bowl him over; he was always too excitable in the mornings. “Couldn't sleep?”

He shook his head tiredly and then smiled when he looked over at Steve. “Morning, Daddy,” He said sleepily and honestly, Bailey was no match for James’ adorable morning voice and Steve was definitely no more immune.

He positively melted and Bailey’s eyes went comically round at the absolutely smitten look he gave their son. “Hey, pal,” He whispered, voice suddenly hoarse. “What are you doin’ out of bed this early?”

James yawned and wrapped his skinny arms around Bailey’s neck, practically clinging to her. “I woke up and I saw mommy wasn’t there _and_ I wanted a drink of water too,” He admitted.

Bailey hummed, not at all pleased at being reminded that she _hadn’t_ managed to get that glass of water she’d come out of her room last night for. She sighed shakily and nuzzled at James cheek with her nose. “Sorry, sweetie, why don’t we go get you some now? _Oh,_ and Daddy has a surprise for you today.”

James blinked slowly up at her and then looked to Steve. “A surprise?”

Bailey merely hummed, looking to Steve too. “Y-yeah, pal. I thought that you and I could spend the day together. We can go out to lunch, go to the park, maybe even go swimming. How does that sound to you?”

James was looking at him with wide hopeful eyes. “Yes-yes, please, _Mommy_ , can I?” He asked her, obviously thrilled with the idea.

She chuckled softly and nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. Your Daddy would love to spend some time with you. That okay?”

“Yes!” He squeaked happily and they both laughed at his exuberance.

“Alright, well. I think Daddy is going to go for a run with Jack while I make everyone some breakfast. Then I can get you ready to go out with your Daddy, okay?” James was already nodding, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes.

“Is Bucky coming with us?” James asked and when Steve didn’t immediately reply, Bailey turned to look at him.

She was not entirely sure what to do with the look he was giving her just then. She blinked and was about to ask if he was alright, when his cheeks heated adorably and he cleared his throat. “I’m afraid not today, pal. He’s got some doctors appointments this morning, but maybe he can meet us for lunch.”

“Okay,” James agreed easily, still happy as a clam and Bailey shook off the odd moment.

“Alright, well, I’ll be back in an hour. Be good for your mom,” Steve told him and they were both amused when he started nodding vigorously.

Bailey watched the blond go, Jack trailing along after him with a happily wagging tail. “Okay, _breakfast_ ,” She announced and then James was chattering in her ear about now amazing it was going to be to get to spend the _whole day with Daddy, Mommy, can you believe it?_ Bailey had to resist the urge to grin and then decided she didn’t want to as she told James just _how much_ she could believe it.

So of course she almost forgot about The Disaster that was last night, far too busy listening to James’ excited hopeful plans for the day. And that’s when Bucky made his way on slightly shaky legs into the kitchen not twenty-minutes later.

Bailey paused and glanced towards where Bucky was slipping onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. He was carrying himself much better today, but he was walking a little gingerly on his one foot. But the little smug smirk and the dangerous twinkle in his eyes as he met her gaze from across the kitchen was enough to have her cheeks flush impossibly fast and for her to give him a rather fragile smile.

She tried _very_ hard to look apologetic while doing so. She wasn’t sure she entirely succeeded when she set down a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of him, hoping he would take it for what it was; a peace offering.

And then he winked at her, lips quirking up in a devious smile as he raised the cup of coffee to his lips. _Oh, boy_. Was she ever in trouble.

.

Ohh, but it was _quiet_. Blessedly, blessedly quiet. So quiet, in fact, that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been alone to enjoy such a peaceful afternoon. The apartment was empty since just after breakfast. Bucky had gone out for a couple of doctor’s appointments that morning and Steve had taken James out for a swim with Jack with plans to later meet up with Sam and Bucky for lunch and she had the whole morning and the afternoon on her own and though she knew she’d enjoy it quite thoroughly, she also knew that she would miss James with every fibre of her being.

But currently, all she could think about was the fact that the store was being looked after, James was in the safest possible hands and she had the whole afternoon ahead of her to just _relax_. And when she was spoken to by Jarvis around 3:30pm and was asked by Steve and Bucky if they could treat James to a movie, who was she to deny them the pleasure?

She smiled at the very thought. James would surely be wiped out by dinner time and bath time and bedtime stories would no doubt go entirely too smoothly. Not that she would complain. Which brought her to now. _Now_ , where she was curled up under a very fluffy white robe with- _le gasp_ -nothing on underneath and sprawled out comfortably on The Sofa-a fact she tried wholeheartedly not to think about-with a book she’d found on one of the book shelves in the living room.

She’d just finished a cup of tea and had settled herself back into the cushions, book propped up against her thighs and warm afternoon light filtering in from the floor to ceiling windows…and then she fell asleep, not ten pages in to the book.

If she were awake right then, she’d be far from surprised. Actually, she wasn’t sure how she had managed to last as long as she did without passing out. She hadn’t slept _at all_ the night before. But, she’d fallen asleep now and slept entirely through dinner, through Jarvis’ announcing to Steve and Bucky when they’d tried to invite her down to dinner with the rest of the Team. They’d obviously been pleased that she was taking their advice to relax seriously and didn’t want to disturb her, so they’d left her be.

So it was with quiet steps that the three let themselves into the apartment around 8:30pm and found her still asleep on the sofa, curled up on her side in her fluffy white robe with the book she’d started to read lying open on the floor beside her.

Neither were wont to wake her, but when James asked Steve to let him get down from where his Daddy had been holding him in his arms, he didn’t hesitate to do so, both watching as the boy walked on quiet feet towards his still sleeping mother.

James rubbed at his own tired eyes as he stood next to his mom and then he was reaching out with a little hand to gently brush some of his mother’s dark hair back from her pretty face. He didn’t say anything and he definitely didn’t move to wake her, but he did look up at both men to give them a gentle smile.

“Mommy would tell me to say thank you for spending the _whole day_ _with me_. So, I’m saying thank you and I had so much fun today, too. I got to hang out with your friends, the Avengers. How cool is that?” He was smiling as he whispered all of this to them and both men were powerless to fight huge smiles of their own.

“We’re really glad you had such a good time with us, James, we had a lot of fun today with you too,” Steve told him quietly.

James seemed pleased by this and looked at his mother for a long moment before his gaze shifted back up to Steve and then Bucky. “I’m really lucky to have you as my Daddy,” He said to Steve quietly. “And I’m even more lucky that I have a _second_ Daddy, Daddy Bucky too.”

Their hearts maybe hurt, but in a good way, at that little confession. “That's really sweet of you to say,” Bucky admitted, voice a tad hoarse.

Steve wrapped an arm around Bucky’s waist at that and pressed a chaste kiss to his temple. James watched and nodded, still smiling as his gaze dropped back down to look into his mothers peaceful face. “Did you know that I have the best mommy in the whole world?” He asked them quietly.

Steve’s smile turned so damn fond at that. “Yeah, pal. I know you do.”

James hummed quietly under his breath and adjusted another lock of her hair, gently twirling it around his little finger before releasing it. He was quiet for a moment and Steve was about to ask him if he was wanted to get ready for bed, when the boy looked up into Steve’s face and frowned as he asked, “How come you don’t love Mommy the same way you love Daddy Bucky?”

Steve froze for a heartbeat and without thinking, he was making his way around the side of the coffee table, motioning for James to come to him, afraid that they might wake her up with their conversation. “Who told you that I don’t love Mommy like that?” He asked gently.

James’ brows furrowed as he stepped into Steve’s outstretched arms, the blond shifting and lifting him easily. “Mommy did,” James said easily. “When I asked her if you were gonna’ marry her. But you used to love her, didn’t you? Because you couldn’ta made me if you didn’t.”

Steve exhaled shakily and nodded. “We couldn’t have made you if we didn’t love each other, you’re right about that, pal. Marriage is a little more complicated, but I-I do still love your Mommy, very much so,” He confessed, glancing over at Bucky then to find the man smiling at him fondly, encouragingly.

“Oh,” James breathed, blinking as he thought about that, cute little brows furrowed adorably. “How come Mommy said that you didn’t?”

Steve bit his lower lip, worrying at it nervously. “I think it’s because I haven’t told her that I still love her, sweetheart. Not properly, but I promise I will, very soon.”

“When she wakes up?” He wondered, looking over at his still sleeping mother.

“I-“ Steve started, only to be interrupted by Bucky’s soft words.

“I have an idea on how we can tell her.”

They both looked to him curiously, Steve especially. “You do?” James asked hopefully.

“Yeah, why don’t we help you get ready for bed and I can tell you?” Bucky suggested.

James was all too eager to agree, but Steve couldn’t help himself from asking on their way to the guest bedroom, “Just what are you plannin’, Buck?”

Bucky hummed and shot his husband a warm smile. “You'll see, Stevie,” and wasn’t that ominous.

.

Waking up in her own bed with James curled up at her side and Jack warming her feet, should have been a surprise, only...she could hear Steve whispering a quiet goodnight to Jack as he made his way past the end of the bed.

She was disappointed she’d been carried by the man and hadn’t even been awake for it. She somehow doubted she’d get to experience that again.

.

When Steve climbed in to bed not long after, letting Bucky draw him into his arms, all he wanted to do was melt into his warm embrace and sleep for a week. James had a _lot_ of energy.

“Hey,” Bucky murmured.

“Hmm?”

“What do you think about what I suggested, honestly?”

Steve swallowed hard and shifted closer to his lover. “I guess that depends on whether or not James can keep it a secret long enough for the plan to work.”

Bucky chuckled and kissed the top of his golden head. “Steve.”

Steve swallowed thickly and let out a shaky breath. “I-I think it’s a good plan, Buck,” He whispered.

“But?”

Bucky knew him so well. “But…what if she-what if she thinks this is all too much? That it’s _weird_ or worse, _wrong?_ ”

“Stevie,” Bucky whispered. “Do you really believe that she would think that loving two people is wrong? Love is love, and sure this might be a bit unconventional, but I know that woman loves you and is having a terrible time keeping those feelings bottled up. I am happy to share you with her, because I know that you still love her. I’ve said it a few times now, sweetheart, but I would truly love to get to know her better. Especially considering her and James are surely going to become a big part of our lives. She’s smart, pretty and such an incredibly loving mother it sort of hurts to think about. She’s so strong, going through all that she has, _alone_ , might I add. She’s strong and brave and _oh Hell_ , Stevie, she made her way into your heart, I don’t think it’s going to take much for her to get into mine.”

Steve exhaled shakily and squeezed Bucky, mindful of his ribs. At least they were virtually healed now. “You really think so? Do you think-?”

“Do I think, what, sweetheart?”

“Do you really think that it would work? S-somehow the-maybe in time-the three of us could somehow fit…together?”

“Is that what you want? For all three of us to fit together?” He asked quietly, gently stroking a hand down his husband’s back, hoping to reassure him.

Steve made a soft noise and nodded, whispering a quiet, “Yes.”

Bucky smiled and pressed a kiss to Steve’s hair. “Well, if she takes tomorrow night well, maybe we can ask her how she might feel about that sort of thing.”

“Okay,” Steve whispered and Bucky chuckled.

“Stop bein’ so nervous, doll. That woman loves you and it ain’t because you’re her baby-Daddy.”

Steve huffed a soft laugh and nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. “Maybe,” He agreed, reluctantly. “But I’d really like for you both to get to know each other better. I want things to work between us. Things were just so _easy_ with her before.”

“What makes you think that things won’t be easy with her now? And don’t say because of James. Taking care of a child is never an easy task, but it’s going to be an enjoyable one at that.”

Steve made a small noise of agreement. “I know, Buck. I just-I’m worried she might think that she’s somehow in competition with you.”

“Stevie, you are gettin’ so far ahead of yourself and you’re worrying about nothin’. We’ll be real clear with her, alright? No misunderstandings. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed shakily. “Okay, yeah-yes, Bucky.”

Bucky couldn’t help but press his smile into the top of his head before he was shifting to draw his husband closer for a much needed kiss. “That’s my baby,” Bucky murmured. “You need to stop worryin’, things are gonna’ work out just fine, _promise._ ”

Steve believed him. Because if he didn’t, he’d have to think about other possibilities.

They were quiet for a little while after that until Steve let out a shaky sigh and propped his chin up on Bucky’s sternum giving him a careful look. Bucky looked back.

“What?”

Steve blinked slowly at him and seemed to pause, perhaps thinking better of what he was going to say and then deciding _to hell with it._

“Bailey keeps referring to me as Daddy to James…”

Bucky raised a dark brow at his husband. “You keep referring to her as Mommy to James…” He countered carefully.

Steve licked his lips, shifting a bit as he thought about how to phrase what he was about to say.

“It-it’s uh… _different_ , when she…calls me- _refers to me-_ a-as…Daddy.”

Bucky very pointedly kept his expression blank. “Uh huh,” He said slowly, never breaking his stare with the blond, Steve already feeling the need to shift, clearly a bit embarrassed by the whole conversation. “And?” Bucky prompted.

Steve swallowed hard and then blew out a very shaky breath. “I kind of like it,” He finally admitted and Bucky didn’t bother to keep the sneaky grin from stretching his lips at the confession.

“Yeah?”

Steve nodded, worrying at his lower lip. “Yeah.”

Bucky hummed and leaned down a little, wordlessly asking for a kiss. Steve easily shifted up to meet him and let his eyes drift shut as he melted into it. Which is why he was entirely unprepared when Bucky shifted and then in a practised move, he had Steve sprawled out on his back, breath whooshing from his lungs as he looked up at Bucky in a daze.

“I think…you and I both know who the Daddy in the bedroom is though, don’t we, sugar?” Bucky said gruffly, sliding the thigh he had between Steve’s legs up just that much higher.

Steve squeaked and then moaned loudly as Bucky leaned in and nipped at his throat, his gasped _yes, Daddy_ lost somewhere between them.

.

“I have a question,” Bailey announced the next afternoon with James drawing idly beside her whileSteve and Bucky busied themselves in the kitchen. The kitchen where she’d been banished from nearly an hour ago.

“What's your question?” Steve asked her from the safety of the kitchen.

Bailey huffed and shifted next to her son. “How-uh-how long are we welcome here at the compound, exactly?”

Steve and Bucky both narrowed their eyes at her. “Why? You want to be rid of us that badly already?”

Bailey spluttered, but then they were chuckling softly and shushing her while James giggled loudly beside her. “We’re just teasing you,” Steve chuckled. “We actually talked to Fury this morning and he’s asked us to keep you company for at least a few more days yet.”

“But if you need something from your apartment, we can probably get it for you,” Bucky added helpfully.

“Oh, uh, that’s-that’s okay. We-well, you’ve been very generous with everything you’ve given us and we don’t really need anything from home right now. I was only curious, is all. I don’t want us to intrude or be a bother.”

“You could never be a bother, Bailey,” Steve murmured, entirely too earnestly.

Bailey felt her cheeks automatically flush with embarrassment at the sincerity in his voice. “Okay,” She whispered and when she turned back to where she’d been colouring beside James, she found the boy smirking at her.

The expression caught her by surprise and she blinked, about to ask him what he was grinning at, when he beat her to the punch. “Mommy,” James started and Bailey instantly narrowed her eyes.

She recognized that tone. “I saw Peter at lunch yesterday and _he said_ that Ned and MJ are coming over later to watch a movie. Can I go watch it with them too? They’re gonna’ watch both of the _Frozen_ movies.”

Bailey nodded slowly. “I suppose I could call Peter and see if it’s alright-“

“ _Done,_ ” Bucky announced and when she turned to look at him across the apartment, she found both men watching her with smiles on their handsome faces and no cell phones in sight.

“O- _kay_ ,” She said slowly.

“Great!” Steve beamed. “That means you can join Bucky and I for dinner. We’re having steak, Greek salad and scalloped potatoes.”

“And I'll make sure Peter orders pizza so you have an awesome dinner too, pal,” Bucky added and James crowed, “Thank you Daddy Bucky!”

When Bailey’s jaw dropped open not at just the name he’d called him but the fact that she was pretty sure they’d all somehow _conspired_ against her, she was simply met with Steve smiling down at the potatoes he was slicing and Bucky smirking at her, a dangerous glint in his gorgeously blue eyes.

She could do naught but swallow hard and turn her attention back to James. Who was grinning near manically at her. If she wasn’t sure if they’d conspired against her before, she sure as shit knew now. “You are in so much trouble, mister,” She mock threatened, her voice barely above that of a whisper.

James only giggled in response and went back to his drawing and when she glanced over at the pair in the kitchen a few minutes later. They were both smiling something awful.

 _Oh, boy._ She was so, _so_ screwed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so thank you everyone who stuck with me thus far. This was not an easy story to get through for me. The ending was just not coming to me, hence the space between the last chapter and now. But I've finished it! And I'm happy with the results. It's happy and sappy and smutty and yeah, I really hope you all like it. Thank you for sticking with me, I love all my readers and YOU are the reason I keep posting my writing. <3

Dinner was…it was great.

The food was fantastic, the wine was excellent and when Bailey revealed that the wine didn’t exactly affect her the same way any more, Steve had stared at her for nearly a solid minute before Bucky had rolled his eyes and gotten to his feet. When he returned with a vial of strangely coloured liqueur and told her that it worked on them. What was she to do but try it?

Now two glasses in and more than a few drops of the liqueur shared between them, they were all feeling comfortable and loose limbed as they tidied up the kitchen. The conversation had been easy throughout dinner and with the promise of dessert in the living room soon enough, it continued to be easy.

Bailey wasn’t sure how it happened, but she’d become so close with the pair the last few days and despite the circumstances that had brought her into their lives, she was grateful for the opportunity to get to know them better.

Bucky was charming and sweet and Steve was just as kind and gentle as she remembered and she just-

She sighed as she picked up her glass of wine from the table and was surprised when she turned and found Bucky standing close. She jumped, gasping in surprise and spilled her drink all down his front.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” She blurted, setting her now empty glass down on the table as she picked up a dishtowel from the counter.

“It’s okay,” Bucky laughed, slightly startled himself.

He plucked at his shirt and tugged the now wet and stained fabric away from his skin and Bailey was frowning, already shaking her head and had that awfully adorable crease between her eyes. Bucky was smiling despite himself as she came back to him clutching a now damp towel. He wasn’t exactly surprised when she unthinkingly dabbed it against his shirt in an attempt to clean him up.

She was entirely focused on getting the red wine out before it stained and Bucky wanted to laugh but all he could do was grin over her shoulder at where Steve was attempting to hide his smile behind the palm of his hand. Bucky’s lips twitched but he managed to school his expression…somewhat.

“I’m really sorry, Bucky,” She was apologizing, still dabbing lightly at his chest, but when she glanced up at him when he merely hummed in response, she stilled entirely.

Bucky smiled at her sweetly and she swallowed thickly, drawing her hand away from his chest. “It was an accident, don’t worry about it,” He assured her, the skin at his eyes crinkling as he smiled down at her. “But I am going to go change,” He chuckled, watching as she nodded, blinking as her gaze flickered over his chest.

His very wet and sculpted chest.

“Sure, um, sounds good,” She agreed, flushing in embarrassment as Bucky chuckled softly and nodded.

“I’ll be right back,” He murmured, glancing quietly to Steve who smiled at him in response.

Bucky huffed before slipping off down the hall.

“I’m so sorry, Steve. I’m so clumsy-“ She apologized, turning big round eyes on the blond.

“Don’t worry about it, honestly. _Here_ , let me put that in the laundry,” He suggested, gently taking the towel from her.

“Alright, um, I’ll just finish tidying up.”

Steve smiled at her, all crinkled eyes and a sparkle therein. “Sure, I’ll just be a minute.”

She huffed out a breath once he’d left her alone, leaning back against the counter. She wanted to whine at how idiotic she’d been.

“You’re a disaster,” She mumbled, scrubbing a hand down her face.

She frowned when she realized something, however. “Baking soda, baking soda would get it out.”

She turned and headed for the fridge. “Everyone has baking soda in their fridge,” She muttered and sure enough, she grabbed the little box and headed down the hall.

“Bucky, I have some baking soda, if you mix it with hot…water…” She trailed off, completely stalled just outside the doorway.

The doorway he’d left wide open and he totally wasn’t alone.

Wasn’t alone and wasn’t exactly fully clothed either.

Her sudden gasp had Bucky looking to her with a heat in his eyes she was entirely unprepared for. Granted…she wasn’t exactly prepared to find Steve on his knees with Bucky’s cock down his throat, either.

“I’m-“ She felt frozen in place, her lips parted and her heart beginning to race.

Her cheeks were positively scarlet at having walked in on them, _again._

Steve made a startled noise and it was only then that she realized he was looking at her too through wet lashes, cheeks flushed and bright with his perfect lips wrapped snugly around Bucky’s cock, which appeared to be buried so deep inside his throat. He choked out a rough noise, his hands grasping Bucky’s hips tightly as if to pull away, but a firm metal hand in his hair kept him right where Bucky wanted him.

The wrecked _whine_ Steve let out at that, his lashes fluttering and throat spasming as he was forced to stay exactly where he was, had Bailey letting out a soft whimper of her own.

“He’s pretty like this, yeah?” Bucky asked, grunting softly when Steve swallowed around him again.

“ _Bucky-_ “ She practically choked.

Her feet felt like they were made of lead and she was entirely unable to move from her place in the doorway. “Didn’t exactly plan for tonight to go down like this,” Bucky admitted, voice wavering a little as Steve moaned around him, fingers digging roughly into his thighs.

Bailey was torn. She wanted to know what he meant but she also couldn’t bare to keep watching the way his abs jumped every time Steve’s gorgeously pale throat bobbed. She tried and failed to smother her whimper in time and finally managed to tear her gaze away from them both to stare at a spot on the wall.

“W-what do you mean?” She gasped.

Bucky hummed and she was forced to press her legs together when a bolt of lust shot through her when a discernibly wet sucking noise filled the space.

“We wanted to wine and dine you, honey. Get you nice and comfortable, sit down with you and share some dessert…” He paused and Bailey shuddered when she heard Steve suddenly gasp in a breath and barely resisted the urge to look.

“E-ease you into the idea,” Steve said roughly and she shut her eyes tightly and realized that she was still holding-read: _clutching_ -the box of baking soda and if she wasn’t careful she was going to squeeze it so tightly that it’d probably explode everywhere.

She hastily set it down on the table just inside their bedroom and bit her lower lip hard, about to tell them that she was sorry for walking in on them and flee…when the words finally got through to her.

“W-what-what idea?” She breathed, barely daring to ask.

Bucky sighed softly and it was a contented sigh, _pleased_ and Bailey really couldn’t help it. She looked.

And really fucking wished she hadn’t. [But not really.]

Because Steve was back to swallowing Bucky down, nose buried against what looked to be neatly trimmed pubic hair, eyes squeezed shut and entire body practically _buzzing_ with energy and Bucky…Bucky was looking right at her as he carded careful metal fingers through Steve’s golden hair.

“He’s a little shy,” Bucky murmured, humming as Steve swallowed around him. “But maybe I can enlighten you-“

“Maybe when you’re not so b-busy but I-I should go, I’m s-so sorry for walking in on you again-I-“ She ended on a gasp, tearing her eyes away when Steve forcibly pulled himself from Bucky’s cock to fix her with a desperate look.

“ _Again?_ ”

Bailey froze, the colour draining from her expression. Steve didn’t know? Steve didn’t _know?_ She thought, near manic with the knowledge.

She choked on her next breath and Steve made a curiously wounded noise. “Y-you-this isn’t-“ He swallowed thickly, his voice coming out far too hoarse. “This isn’t the first time y-you’ve walked in on _us?_ ”

Bailey clenched her eyes shut tightly and reluctantly shook her head.

Bucky chuckled softly and it was deep and throaty when Steve let out a wounded noise. She could only shiver in response.

“I’m _sorry-_ “ She tried to apologize, voice broken and desperate at the same time, but then Bucky was huffing lightly in response.

“No need to be sorry, doll. _I_ liked that you were watching.”

Steve’s breathing hitched and Bailey’s eyes inadvertently snapped back to the blond to find him looking up at Bucky with wide lust blown eyes. “Y-you knew?”

Bucky chuckled and smiled down at his husband. “She came outta’ her room last night, got an eyeful-“

“A-and an earful,” She added, distressed and immediately regretted it when both sets of eyes focused back on her and she _really_ tried not to notice how wet and swollen Steve’s lips were or how hard and _big_ Bucky-

Steve’s eyes were wide and dark and more than a bit shocked. “You heard us-“ He swallowed thickly, unable to finish.

“Talking about her,” Bucky finished helpfully, but his voice had gentled considerably at the admission.

“Did you-“ Steve faltered and Bucky smiled, petting Steve’s hair lightly.

“Go on, Stevie. Ask her,” He murmured and Steve shuddered when Bucky’s hand tightened in his hair minutely.

“Did you like it? L-like what you heard?”

“Like what you saw?” Bucky added quietly. “What you see…”

She swallowed thickly and was nodding before she could stop herself. “Yes,” She admitted in a breathy rush, colour finally returning to her cheeks.

Steve shuddered and the slow smile that tugged at Bucky’s mouth made her knees weak. “‘Course she does, Stevie. Seein’ you take it would make anyone, hot.”

Stevie made a quietly embarrassed noise and Bailey exhaled shakily. _When_ had she stepped further into their bedroom exactly?

“You’re beautiful together,” She confessed, voice barely above that of a whisper. “And I’m intruding, I-“

“Don’t go,” Steve pleaded as she started to turn, finally finding the will to move.

“We don’t want you to leave,” Bucky agreed quietly.

“Then what _do_ you want me to do?” She asked helplessly, her emotions getting the better of her because somehow she felt their conversation had been a little derailed when she’d slipped up.

Steve smiled at her warmly at her response, however, exhaling steadily as he pressed his temple against Bucky’s hip, blocking his very much still erect cock from view. “We’d like it if you joined us,” Steve confessed quietly.

Bailey’s mouth was dropping open before she thought to stop it and well, words were a thing, right? “ _Why?_ ”

She sounded so confused, timid and frightened and it broke their hearts more than a little bit. “Because we want to be with you,” Steve said earnestly, Bucky humming softly along with him.

She swallowed thickly, not entirely understanding. “In-you-“ She shook her head. “You want me-“

“Yes,” Bucky breathed, cutting her off. “Now come here before Steve’s heart beats any faster. I’m afraid he’s going to have a stroke.”

Steve didn’t deny it and truthfully, she could hear his heart racing from here and it sort of mirrored her own. But making her feet move even if every other part of her _longed_ to go to them, she wasn’t sure that she could. Not without knowing for certain.

“Is this-“ She took a shaky breath. “Is this only about sex?”

“Is that all you want it to be?” Steve asked her quietly, not missing a beat.

“ _No-_ “ She breathed, emphatically. “No, I-“ She shook her head. “If it’s only about sex, t-then I’m going to h-have to walk out t-that door.”

“There’s no need, then,” Steve gentled.

“Because that’s not what we want with you. Not _only_ what we want with you,” Bucky amended.

He barely registered the fact that Steve was slowly pulling up Bucky’s jeans to cover him properly but when the rougher fabric dragged over his sensitive head, he hissed a little under his breath at the contact.

Steve murmured a soft apology and pressed a kiss to his hip as he did up Bucky’s jeans. When he stood up and turned as if to head towards her, however, she visibly started. “Are you going to tell me what you do want with me?” She finally managed to ask.

Steve’s gaze softened and he bit his lower lip, taking another careful step towards her. “I’d like to be with you, in any way you’ll let me.”

“And I-“ Bucky added. “Would like to get to know you better, in any way you’ll let me.”

Bailey exhaled shakily and took a faltering step towards them. “We had hoped…to ease you into the idea over dessert, maybe some more wine. But you sort of surprised us,” Bucky admitted, a soft chuckle escaping him. “Caught me with my pants down, even,” He laughed at that and Steve flushed hotly.

“I thought you were dropping the towel in the laundry,” She said faintly.

“He caught me mid strip and-“ He cut a heated glance to where Steve was looking at him, embarrassment and arousal warring in those baby blues. “Apparently decided he couldn’t resist getting on his knees for his Daddy.”

“ _Bucky-_ ” Steve choked, but when he managed to tear his gaze away from his husband fast enough to look at Bailey, ready to apologize for his behaviour, he found her already staring at him with bright wide eyes of her own. “I’m sorry, he-“

“Is that what you like to call him?” She asked quietly, but when Steve merely swallowed and didn’t reply, she added, “And here I was, calling _you_ daddy the last couple days.”

Steve breathed out roughly through his nose, entire body tensing and although she could see Bucky’s immensely pleased look out the corner of her eye, she could also see the way her words were affecting Steve. Because those jeans were _tight_ and yeah, he’d obviously been turned on while he’d been keeping Bucky’s cock warm, but he’d softened during their conversation, at least a little bit.

Now, though? She was sure he was ready to pound goddamn _nails._

“I think you may have broken, Stevie, honey,” Bucky hummed, smiling sweetly and Bailey shifted nervously when Steve let out a bit of a squawk.

“I-I’m not broken,” Steve protested. “I’m just…digesting,” He tried weakly and when Bailey’s lips twitched in some semblance of a smile, he blew out a slow breath.

He knew when he was outmanoeuvred.

Maybe.

Possibly.

He might be…or-

“You said that you liked what you saw, what you heard,” He managed and took a careful step towards her.

There were maybe only a couple of feet between them now but he could see the way her pulse fluttered at her neck.

“I know what I said,” She said carefully, unsure if he was asking her something.

He hummed softly. “What about it did you like, exactly?”

 _Oh_. She was…not exactly prepared to answer that.

Apparently her mouth didn’t get the memo.

“W-with me, when we-“ She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “You were so gentle, so caring. You were the one clearly in control of our-“ She huffed. “Don’t make me say it, Steve.”

He inhaled slowly. “You liked that I wasn’t in a dominant position, didn’t you,” He murmured. “Liked that you could see me giving myself up to him.”

None of these were questions she was meant to answer, more so just a statement of facts and it had her shivering in response. Because yes, she really did like that about it. The way Bucky had reduced him to soft whimpers, near delirious with pleasure.

Exactly as he’d made her feel, all those years ago.

“Yes,” She found herself answering anyway and was embarrassed by how honest she sounded.

Bucky tilted his head thoughtfully as he watched the pair. “Do you want him to give himself up to you?”

Her gaze flickered to Bucky quickly and she shook her head. “No, not-not in the same way,” She admitted and Steve made a curious sound.

“What do you want then?” Steve asked quietly.

Bailey let herself look at the pair, her gaze softening as she shrugged lightly. “Whatever you’re willing to give me.”

The words stunned Steve for a moment but it was only a moment and then he was closing the space between them, unable to stop himself. He kissed her with all he had, hard and desperate and everything he’d wanted to do since the moment he’d seen her again.

Her gasp of surprise was swiftly swallowed up by the press of his lips and she didn’t melt into his arms like he half expected her to; it was more like she came _alive_ in his embrace. She held him back, hands clinging tightly to the back of his neck and in his hair. She clutched at him as he licked into her mouth and he held her with a palm against her lower back and one tangled in her longer hair. He barely resisted the urge to tug on it when she whimpered into his mouth, lips parted and slick with their spit.

He groaned softly as she pressed the length of her body tightly against his and he honestly couldn’t take it anymore. He dragged her further into the room only to shove her against the wall next to the open doorway. She cried out softly, startled by the motion and tipped her head back against the wall, a flush rising to her cheeks. Perhaps it had never faded in the first place.

The moment Steve could breathe freely he fixed her with a look, his eyes searching hers with an intensity she wanted to hide in the face of. “I’ll give you everything, Bailey. Everything you want, whatever you want,” He confessed, never breaking her gaze.

She trembled against him, at the warmth of his body, the press of it, his weight pinning her, an immovable force. But more than anything, his words were what made her shake, what made her act, too.

Her hands had moved to grasp at his shoulders when he’d moved her and she inhaled deeply, taking in the absolutely intoxicating scent of him, all musk and sweat, arousal but also something so distinctly _Steve_ it had her mind reeling.

She shoved him, nails digging into his shoulders perhaps a touch too roughly. Not that he cared. Not when in the next moment she had him pressed back into their bed, her gentle weight settled atop his thighs, those clever hands braced against his suddenly heaving chest as she straddled him.

“ _God_ , that was hot,” Bucky muttered and when Steve made a soft noise, obviously agreeing, Bailey was forced to acknowledge the fact that _Bucky was watching them_.

She shifted her gaze towards the brunet and let out a careful breath when she found him standing at the foot of the bed watching them avidly. “Are you really okay with this, Bucky?”

“More than,” He admitted. “I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to get to know you better.”

He licked his lips, shaking his head a bit. “I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought about getting you into our bed, but it’s more than that. You somehow slipped under Steve’s skin and that’s-“ He blew out a breath. “Not something so easily done and the fact that you made him a dad is all the more reason for me to be okay with this, with whatever _this_ turns out to be. If you only wanted to be with Steve, I’d let you, because I know you can make him happy too, you’d just have to put up with me as his side piece.”

She huffed out a strained sort of laugh at that, Steve’s hands finding their way to her thighs and making her pause and swallow hard. “I think I’d be more of the side piece, Bucky. But I-“ She glanced down at Steve when he squeezed her thighs lightly.

“I don’t want it to just be Steve and I, I wouldn’t want that for James either. He’s already enamoured with you, Bucky. You’re the perfect package together,” She admitted, pulling her gaze away from Steve’s heavy stare to look back at the brunet. “And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about getting you into bed, but it’s more than that,” She admitted, using his own words against him.

He exhaled roughly when she next breathed, “I’ve also thought about getting you _and_ Steve into bed together.”

The ease with which she’d dropped her voice, suddenly sounding sultry and sweet had both men cursing and groaning softly. “She’s trouble, Stevie,” Bucky huffed and when Bailey merely smiled a little bigger and looked back down at the man beneath her, he was already grinning at her.

“Yeah,” Steve breathed, love, adoration and desire warring within him, no doubt evident in every line of his body and every syllable he uttered. “And she’s ours.”

Bailey had no time to react to the words, not when Steve tugged her close only to roll them and pin her with a kiss to the mattress.

She moaned into his mouth, entire body lighting up with need as he pressed himself between her legs, grinding down against him tantalizingly slow. Her hands acted as if they had their own mind as they buried themselves into his shorter hair and tipped his head exactly where she wanted him.

He grunted at the slight sting of her nails scratching at his scalp and retaliated by nipping teasingly at her bottom lip and relishing in the gasp she took in response.

“ _Gorgeous_ ,” Bucky muttered and when Steve felt the bed dip, Bailey clearly a little more out of it and not having noticed, he broke their kiss and glanced towards his husband.

“Isn’t she?” He said and rather breathlessly at that.

Bucky hummed and Bailey blinked a few times to clear her lust addled mind, turning her attention to the brunet at their side. If she wanted, she could reach out and touch him. _When had he gotten so close?_

Bailey’s eyes drifted to his lips for an instant when he absently darted his tongue out to wet them and Bucky’s sharp gaze instantly tracked the movement.

But of course she realized she’d been caught and quickly looked away, nearly squirming with the need to do _something._ Steve had seen the whole thing of course, close as he was and he didn’t want to simply gloss over it.

“Is there something I’m not giving you, sweetheart?” He asked, brushing his nose lightly against hers before stealing her lips in yet another kiss.

She whimpered against him, her hands skimming up along his chest and grasping at his shoulders. He hadn’t exactly given her a chance to reply before kissing her, however, so he reluctantly broke their kiss again. _God_ , but he had missed her lips. So soft and so sweet and while Bucky’s lips were always pillowy soft too, even when he was being kissed to within an inch of his life, it was still _different_ to kiss her.

“Hmm?” He prompted her gently.

“ _No_ , of course not,” She gasped, eyes wide, rounded in perhaps slight trepidation.

Steve smiled at her, cooing soft reassurances into her lips as he couldn’t resist giving her yet another kiss. “Are you sure?” He mumbled, nipping at her bottom lip and grinding his hips down against her; his cock clearly hard in his jeans and she could no doubt _feel it._

She moaned softly at the friction and arched up slightly beneath him, not exactly answering. “Because I think Bucky could give you something I can’t.”

She gasped at that, her eyes flying open, unawares she’d even closed them in the first place. She couldn’t bare to tear her gaze from him and watched as he bit down on his bottom lip teasingly, pretending to take some time to think about it.

Maybe it wasn’t exactly pretending. His cheeks were awfully pink.

She didn’t dare ask him what that might be though. But apparently Bucky just _had to_.

“And what’s that, Stevie?”

And _why_ did he sound so fucking smug and turned on? She chanced a quick glance at him and swallowed thickly when she saw the very patient yet proud look he was giving Steve and when he caught her looking, he _winked_ at her.

She quickly tore her gaze away and fixed it back on Steve- _Steve_ -who looked as if he were being lit up from the inside. Dishevelled and beautiful, practically glowing in the low light of the bedroom with that gorgeous full bodied blush. And _why_ was he still fully dressed? Better yet, why was _she_ still fully dressed? At least Bucky had his shirt off.

Steve hummed, drawing her back in and she swallowed thickly as he leaned in close again, this time bringing his lips close to her left ear, not blocking her sight of Bucky, if she so chose to look.

“Can I tell you a secret?” He murmured, lips brushing the shell of her ear and making her shiver.

She nodded, long lashes fluttering as she fought against the wave of arousal his teasing voice provoked.

Steve sighed, almost dreamily at her permission. “I might be the father of our child…but Bucky?” He hummed, breath hot against her cheek, against her ear. “Bucky’s a _real_ Daddy in the bedroom, honey.”

A shocked sort of sound escaped her at that and Steve chuckled darkly against her cheek, gently nosing behind her ear a moment later. “I can be your lover, your partner…your toy,” He explained, with only a little hesitance at the last admission. “I can be anything you want, but in here?”

“Bucky’s your Daddy,” She breathed and said Daddy’s groan did not go unnoticed.

“Yeah, doll,” Bucky breathed and she glanced over at the man through lowered lashes as Steve pressed a kiss to her jaw.

“Maybe if you ask nicely, he could be your Daddy, too.”

The shock of that had Bucky inhaling sharply and Bailey whining high in her throat, the sound startled out of her. Reaction entirely too genuine to fake. _Oh_ , but she _liked_ that idea.

“ _Steve_ -“ Bucky choked, watching as Steve smirked, obviously pleased with himself. “Some sweet boy, you are.”

Steve couldn’t help laughing lightly at that, propping himself up on his hands a little better to survey her. “I’m trouble too,” He admitted, smiling down at her.

She huffed softly and with a heated blush, she looked up at Bucky with such shyness reflected in her dark eyes. “Guess Daddy likes his troublemakers.”

Bucky breathed out shortly through his nose and shook his head. “That your way of askin’, honey?”

At that, Bailey did squirm, blushing hotly as she bit at her lower lip. “I-“ She faltered for a second and lowered her gaze to a spot on the bed. “I think that I’d like to ask for a kiss first…and to get to know you a little better too.”

Bucky’s grin was blinding when she finally had the courage to look back up at him and she found herself smiling back tentatively. “A kiss I can do, doll,” He murmured, shifting to lay down beside them.

Steve shivered when Bucky trailed warm fingertips up along his thigh, catching on the hem of his shirt and grazing the skin beneath it. He bit his lower lip and watched as Bucky propped himself on his metal hand as he leaned down close to Bailey. He didn’t move out of their space, merely shifted to accommodate Bucky’s closeness, still braced low on his elbows between Bailey’s spread legs.

She was still trembling lightly beneath him and he ran a soothing hand through her hair, smoothing it back. He watched as her lashes fluttered for a moment but her gaze was unmistakably pinned on Bucky.

Bucky hummed softly as he leaned in, having caressed up the length of Steve’s side, the palm of his hand now settled lightly against Bailey’s shoulder closest to him. “Still want that kiss, Bailey?” He asked her lightly, not wanting to pressure her but also really wanting to kiss her.

He was sure it was written all over his face anyway if the sparkle in her eyes was to be believed.

“ _Yes_ -“

It was barely a whisper but he heard it all the same and when Steve let out a pleased rumble as he nuzzled against her shoulder, Bucky was helpless not to kiss her right then.

She inhaled shakily as he leant in and although she made no conscious decision to close her eyes, they closed all the same the moment his lips met hers.

Steve expected to see her melt at his kiss like he so often did and she _did_ melt that much more into the bed but so did Bucky. The brunet groaned softly as he turned more onto his side, seemingly wanting to curl over her, despite Steve being in the way. He was momentarily stunned by the picture they made together, their slightly darker complexions, their dark hair, the rosy flush gracing both of their faces, spreading down the length of their throats.

He watched in awe as Bailey reached up to grasp the back of Bucky’s neck, wanting him closer and simultaneously grasping at the back of his own neck before burying itself in his hair. Steve was left panting as he watched them share a kiss for the first time and it was beautiful and sweet, slow and sensual.

They were obviously learning one another, exploring and seeing what the other liked best. She grew a little more confident and nipped at his bottom lip as he came up for air and he groaned lowly at the tease, pressing his forehead against hers as she let go.

“ _Wow-_ “ Steve breathed, reluctant to break whatever spell was between them but seriously, _wow._

Bucky huffed, gently nuzzling her nose with his own. “Wow is right,” He agreed and they both chuckled when she merely sighed out a breathy, “ _Mhm._ ”

After that it honestly didn’t take long before Steve was being told to undress her- _if she wanted-_ and _oh_ , but she wanted.

Within a minute she was naked and lying back against their sheets, comforter kicked to the floor. She was flushed and panting already, having been watching Steve move to undress Bucky next. Not that there was much to take off of him.

Once they were finally naked, they crawled onto the bed, Steve moving to lie down on his back as Bucky ordered. And it was an order. One that sent shivers down Bailey’s spine and made her bite her lip to stifle a moan.

She wondered if he would order her around too.

“You fancy letting him eat you out, honey? I’d love to watch him bury his face in your pretty cunt-“

“ _Bucky_ -“ Steve hissed. “Watch your language.”

Bucky flushed a little at being reprimanded but Bailey was biting her lower lip so hard it’d turned white. “You rather I call it a pretty pussy then?”

Steve groaned in annoyance and dropped his head back against the pillows and he was about to give him an earful, surely, but didn’t exactly get the chance.

“You think my cunt is pretty?” She murmured, voice nothing but a purr.

Steve stilled and Bucky grunted, reaching between his legs to practically _strangle_ his dick, a dick she was very much admiring at the moment. _Christ_ but he was gorgeous and she wasn’t exactly blind, she did see his scars but she found him all the more beautiful for it.

“Yeah, doll. Granted, bet it’d look prettier all slick and stuffed with-“

Steve groaned, _loudly_ and Bailey grinned and looked over at the blond now propped up on his elbows.

“He’s filthy,” She told him, nose scrunching up adorably and Steve merely smacked a hand over his face, his cheeks positively _flaming_ at this point.

“ _Sorry-_ “ Steve apologized on Bucky’s behalf, Bucky only snickering at the display.

But then Bailey was humming and biting her lower lip as she pushed herself up onto her knees and straightened up. She couldn’t resist trailing her clever fingers down the length of her belly, the slight swell she’d never quite shed after her pregnancy. She wasn’t self-conscious about it, not exactly. She knew that Steve had seen her before, when she was younger, thinner, a little more supple in places.

But five years is a long time and she did wonder what he thought of her body now. The serum changed some things, not a lot exactly, but some.

She didn’t want to dwell on it and instead focused on the feel of her fingertips sliding up to gently pinch at her nipple, a soft gasp escaping her at the sensation. “I don’t think you need to be sorry about how filthy he is,” She admitted, gaze flickering from Bucky back to where Steve had dropped his hands from his face and was watching her toy with herself with heated interest.

“I kind of like it,” She confessed, shrugging lightly and she just _knew_ her blush was spreading down her chest, the warmth of it unmistakable. “And I think you do too.”

Steve huffed, but he wasn’t denying it and when she raised an eyebrow at him, demanding an answer, he reluctantly admitted, “Yeah, I maybe kind of like it too.”

“‘Course you do, baby doll. Especially when I call your pretty hole a sweet little boy pussy-“

Bailey and Steve both gasped at that, the blond immediately groaning and squeezing his eyes shut as his cock twitched heavily against his abs, but he still made no move to touch it.

Bailey was absolutely beside herself with want and she licked her lips, a shiver wracking her frame and stealing Bucky’s attention. “So what do you say? Want Stevie to eat out your pretty little cunt?”

Bailey shuddered and had to press her thighs together as her internal muscles clenched with the need to be filled. Because _yes_ , she really fuckin’ wanted that. She exhaled shakily and nodded. “I’ve never done-had that done to me,” She confessed and they both groaned.

“ _Perfect-_ “ Bucky breathed. “Cuz Stevie here ain’t never eaten a girl out before.”

Bailey bit at her lower lip as she looked to Steve, the blond clearly affected by the knowledge. He had his hand tracing lazy circles over his abs but wasn’t paying any attention to his cock; which kept twitching and practically _drooling_ against his abs. Bailey couldn’t exactly look away.

“H-how do you want me?” She asked nervously and Steve’s eyes darkened somehow even further.

“Would you sit on me? O-on my face?”

Bailey made a soft strangled sound and had to cough to cover it. Obviously she did a shit job of it. She nodded anyway.

Bucky chuckled softly and shifted closer to her, her gaze instantly snapping to him. He had his flesh hand outstretched towards her, close to her elbow but not touching. “Can I help you climb up?” He asked, tone gentle but definitely more affected than he was letting on.

She bit her lower lip gently and nodded and within moments Bucky had his hand curled gently around her upper arm and slipping down to rest lightly against her hip as she moved to straddle Steve.

Steve…who was practically vibrating in place as Bucky told him to shimmy down the bed a bit, he eagerly complying. Bailey was shaking by the time she was sitting back slightly, only a bit of her weight was settled on Steve’s chest, her knees spread wide on either side of his neck. He was arching his spine slightly, stretching out his neck as he looked up at her and dear _lord_ , but he was already panting for it.

“Why don’t you put your hands up on the headboard?” Bucky suggested and she could _feel_ the warmth of him at her back.

He’d grabbed something from the nightstand and proceeded to bully his way between Steve’s thighs as soon as she’d settled and she’d watched over her shoulder as he started caressing up the length of the blond’s legs, teasing him. While he’d helped her get into position, he’d had a hand resting at her hip to direct her and as he’d gone to let go, she couldn’t help but shudder when he gave her a light squeeze.

 _Why_ it felt so good to have her hips squeezed, she had no fucking clue, but she sure as hell wanted hands there as soon as humanly possible.

Fortunately for her, no sooner had Bucky’s hands started kneading Steve’s thighs, did Steve bring his own big hands up to grasp lightly at her hips. She hung her head at the feeling, still not having reached for the headboard just yet. She’d forgotten how big his hands were, how strong yet gentle, how warm.

Her lashes fluttered and she knew she was clenching up, desperately wishing she could clench down on _something_ , preferably a cock, actually. But when Steve made a questioning noise and kissed at the inside of her thigh, she jolted in surprise.

“ _Sorry-_ “

“Don’t be sorry,” Steve chuckled. “You’re beautiful like this, you know. I can hear your heart beating, can see your pulse jumping in your neck,” His lashes fluttered for a moment and then he breathed in deeply and whispered, “Smell you.”

She exhaled shakily and couldn’t help blushing even more at the admission, a soft whimper escaping her.“I can hear your heartbeat too.”

Steve blew out a rough breath and squeezed her hips lightly. “I really want to taste you, honey. Will you let me?”

She trembled and nodded weakly, hesitating for only a moment as she reached out for the headboard as she went up higher on her knees. Steve shimmied a little beneath her but then he was groaning from deep in his chest, gaze fixed solely between her legs. She whimpered a little when his hands left her hips and caressed down over the curve of her ass before settling beneath her. His big hands curled around her, coaxing her closer and then his thumbs were tugging her cheeks apart and slipping lower to tug her already glistening folds apart.

She couldn’t help the heady gasp she took when he pressed in close and unmistakably inhaled the scent of her deep into his chest.

“Don’t leave a lady waiting, Stevie,” Bucky admonished behind her and Bailey whimpered, her eyes falling shut as Steve’s lips finally pressed wetly against her in an open-mouthed kiss.

Steve’s groan was loud in the next moment, his lips parting and tongue darting out to lick lightly at her sex, but it was nothing in comparison to the _whine_ that escaped Bailey when he finally dragged his tongue through her slick, just barely grazing her clit.

“That’s it, darlings,” Bucky murmured. “Go on, Stevie. I know you wanna’ make her moan.”

Steve’s soft whimper between her legs was answer enough and suddenly Bailey wasn’t just holding the headboard anymore. She was _clutching_ at it.

Because Steve’s tongue was hot and wet and _Christ_ , but she was already so slick and he’d only just _started._ She’d be embarrassed about that if it didn’t feel so good, surely. His tongue was pointed and rigid one moment and the next it was soft and exploring, licking broad swipes up from her opening right to her clit and she shuddered with each pass.

His thumbs had shifted to pull her apart even more and soon she was rocking against his face, his soft noises of want nearly smothered by her entirely. But it only seemed to spur him on and he let himself get lost in the soft whimpers and cries that escaped her, the taste of her, the heat. Right up until Bucky slipped a slick finger down between his legs.

He shouted in surprise, throwing his head back against the pillows and Bailey gasped in surprise, shifting up slightly, desperately wanting to chase his wicked mouth.

“Easy, Stevie. Just wanna’ get you ready for me,” Bucky cooed and Bailey trembled hard and glanced over her shoulder at the brunet when Steve swore and then groaned loudly, his entire body shivering.

She bit her lower lip hard when she found Bucky lying on his side and half straddling one of Steve’s legs while he worked his fingers in and out of the blond. If she had to guess, she thought he was opening him up with at _lest_ two fingers. Two very much metal ones.

She moaned softly at the sight, Bucky flashing her a devious grin. “Don’t you go slackin’ off now, Stevie. Suck on her clit, yeah? Want you to make her come.”

The _noise_ Bailey made in the next moment when Steve had all but _shoved_ his face back between her legs was near deafening when he then wrapped his lips around that little nub and _sucked._ It had him whining and redoubling his efforts, desperate to get her off and to be good for Bucky. He was gripping her tightly and holding her against his face as she started to squirm in earnest, attention clearly back on him again.

She was shaking and crying out near constantly and Steve was sure he heard the headboard groan behind him, but seriously could not care in the slightest if it broke.

It wouldn’t have been the first time.

“ _Oh_ , _oh_ , _oh-_ “ She was gasping and Steve grunted and shifted beneath her when he felt one of her hands drop to his head and wind tightly through his hair.

“Go on, Bailey,” Bucky urged. “Tell him to make you come, doll. Tell him what you want.”

She mewled pitifully and shook against Steve’s clever tongue as he paused his sucking to lap desperately at the heat of her, his tongue a solid muscle pressing into her over and over again. She moaned and tipped her head back, eyes closing in pleasure as she ground down.

“Steve, _please_ ,” She whimpered, a low whine escaping her when she felt him trying to get his tongue deeper inside of her. “U-use your fingers-“ She gasped. “I n-need-“ She choked back a soft cry when barely a second later Steve had two _big_ fingers pressing into her-inexorable and slow-while his mouth latched onto her clit, his tongue swiping furiously against it.

She was whining but she couldn’t hear the noises she was making anymore, too lost in the pounding of her own heart, the pulse of his tongue against her, the depth of his fingers inside her, curling and dragging against her inner walls. She was going to come, she knew she was and she must have said so, even if she didn’t register doing so, because suddenly Steve’s hands were biting into her flesh, holding her tightly against his face and she had no chance of moving on her own power then.

She whined, high and breathy and her hand tightened in his hair and she distantly knew it’d be a disaster when he came up for air, but honestly couldn’t _wait_ to see it. She was shaking so hard, the muscles in her thighs and stomach jumping and tensing the closer she got and when a warm and then cool hand settled lightly on her hips and then _squeezed?_ Well, she was a little far gone then.

She came with a sharp cry and she distantly heard Bucky groaning behind her but she was far too focused on her own pleasure, wave after wave of pure sensation wracking through her. She could feel Steve moaning against her folds, sucking at her clit still with slowing urgency, wanting to help her ride out her orgasm for as long as possible.

She was moaning, felt as if she simply couldn’t stop. Her limbs were shaky, her heart still racing and she panted roughly as she lightened her grip on Steve’s hair and started carding careful yet trembling fingers through his shorter locks.

“ _Gorgeous,_ ” Bucky was whispering, so close to her ear now. “So beautiful when you come, sweetheart.”

“ _Ohhh_ -“ She whimpered and Steve carefully released his grip on her, letting her very nearly collapse back onto his chest. “God, _Steve._ T-that was-“ She faltered as she collapsed

But Bucky was there to catch her, even if it was with a soft chuckle. Steve let out a very contented sigh and Bailey’s eyes drifted open to fix on him. She let out a heavy breath at the sight of Steve’s absolutely _wrecked_ face. He was _covered_ in her slick and she whimpered in embarrassed arousal as he licked at his lips, clearly wanting to taste of much of her as he could.

“You gonna’ share, sweetheart?” Bucky murmured and Bailey realized that she was currently leaning back against him.

Like, _all_ of him.

But of course she’d barely let herself notice that before Steve was shifting and freeing his arms from beneath her, having been pulled back by Bucky enough to have her straddling his waist now.

“You want a taste?” Steve teased and it was a tease, a dangerous glint in those dark eyes, barely a ring of blue visible therein.

“You know I do,” Bucky murmured and Bailey shivered when Bucky’s metal hand reached out to haul Steve up into a sitting position.

He gasped at being tugged up so suddenly but he went nevertheless. Now sitting up and Bailey _very_ much sandwiched between them, Bucky raised Steve’s hand to his lips by the grip he’d taken of his wrist. And of course _that’s_ when she realized what was about to happen. The realization didn’t exactly stop her from whining, absolutely _mortified_ when Bucky took two of Steve’s fingers into his mouth, laving at them lewdly.

“Oh my _God_ ,” She gasped, another whine escaping her at the sight.

Bucky hummed around Steve’s fingers, the blonde blushing hotly and clearly torn between watching Bucky suck on his fingers and her watching them with wide disbelieving eyes.

“ _Christ_ , that’s sweet,” Bucky admitted, letting Steve’s fingers slip from his mouth.

But in the next moment he was grabbing Steve roughly by the back of the neck, the blond inhaling sharply when Bucky practically _attacked_ his lips. The kiss was biting and messy, Steve letting out soft cries and needy whimpers as Bucky licked into his mouth as if attempting to steal every taste of her he could find.

It was a heady feeling then, seeing him do such a thing, watching them kiss like that. She breathed in slowly in an attempt to calm herself down and when she shifted her weight slightly she was startled at the feel of Bucky’s hard-and clearly leaking-cock sliding up between her cheeks. He grunted in surprise no doubt at the unexpected friction and she whimpered, torn between wanting to rock back against him or down against Steve’s dripping cock.

 _Fuck_ , but they were both huge.

Steve whimpered at the sharp sting of Bucky’s teeth against his bottom lip and then he was pulling back and all but _shoving_ Steve back against the bed. Bailey watched it happen, her own body being rocked forward until she was braced over the blond’s ridiculously perfect chest and Bucky was grinding filthily against her thigh for a wonderful yet brief moment.

“Sorry, doll. Just-I just gotta’-“ He groaned and she whimpered when she glanced back and found him stroking his cock with what was probably lube.

He’d placed his hand against her lower back, the metal warmed and the weight of it sending a bit of a thrill through her. She shuddered hard as he swept his thumb soothing over the swell of her ass. “C-can I just-I just wanna look,” He choked and Bailey bit her lower lip hard when she realized he was talking to her; she nodded.

“ _Fuck-_ “ He swore and she could definitely feel Steve trying to crane his neck enough to see what he was doing too.

She barely had a second to brace for it before he was sliding the metal hand between her cheeks and spreading her open with his thumb. He groaned, so long and so low and she shuddered before dropping down onto her elbows and burying her face against Steve’s broad chest.

“Looks so good, doesn’t she, Buck?” Steve murmured and it was such a deep grumble that Bailey could feel it practically vibrate through her.

“Fuck, yeah she does, Stevie. Prettiest cunt I’ve ever seen,” Bucky agreed and Bailey moaned loudly.

 _God_ , but _why_ was she so turned on by it? The dirty talk, the humiliation. She whined deep in her throat and Steve ran soothing hands down her back.

“Bit too much, honey?” Steve murmured, very much aware that Bucky hadn’t removed his hand from between her legs nor stopped touching himself to the sight of her.

“I’m f-fine,” She managed, choking out a rough noise when Bucky dipped his thumb through her slick.

“ _Bucky-_ “ Steve warned and the brunet grunted a soft apology and withdrew his hand.

“ _Steve_ -“ She whimpered suddenly and the blond smiled when she pushed herself up a bit and leaned in for a kiss.

It was lazy and unhurried but she could feel the way heat was starting to build between them, the way Steve’s body started shifting and he unconsciously pulled her a little closer by her hips. It might have been a little consciously too.

“ _Bailey_ ,” He murmured, nipping at her lips. “Tell us what you want, honey? I know what I want, what Bucky surely wants too. But we _both_ want to know what _you_ want.”

She whimpered softly and dropped her head back to her chest and Steve couldn’t help biting his lower lip as he watched her. Bucky was still behind her, no longer touching himself and instead sitting back on his heels, looking mere moments away from losing it entirely.

“ _I_ want you to ride Steve while I fuck him, if you’re open to suggestions,” Bucky interjected and Steve groaned, half in fond annoyance and exasperation and the other half in pure _want_.

“ _Oh-_ “ Bailey gasped, raising her gaze just a little bit to meet Steve’s eyes almost shyly.

She was biting her lower lip and Steve blinked at her owlishly. “You _want_ B-Bucky to um-“ He faltered, because it was one thing her to maybe watch but to have her sitting atop him while he took it? He swallowed thickly at the idea. _He_ sure liked the idea, if he wasn’t a bit intimidated by it.

“Yes,” She confessed and Bucky’s heated groan had them both shuddering. “I want you in me, Steve. I-I want-“

She shifted then, pushing herself back up onto her hands, bracing herself against Steve’s chest. She raised her hips slightly and adjusted their positions and in doing so, had his cock brushing up between her still slick folds. “I want you in me.”

Steve groaned and nodded, hands instantly falling to her hips as he ground up against her pointedly. “I want that too, sweetheart,” He breathed and Bucky blew out a careful breath behind her.

“You think you can manage, Stevie? Think you can hold out long enough for me to get my cock in you?” Bucky asked, but there was a bit of a warning in his tone and Steve gasped out a desperate, “ _Yes, Daddy_ ,” That had Bailey biting down hard on her bottom lip to keep from whining.

“Good, _boy_ ,” Bucky said, clearly pleased. “I’ll hold you to it. Now, why don’t you make yourself comfortable, doll?” He suggested, running a soothing hand up the length of her spine.

She nodded, still biting her lower lip as she shifted up onto her knees a bit more. Steve was shaking when she finally wrapped a hand around the base of his cock and when she couldn’t resist stroking him just to feel him twitch heavily in her grasp, he hissed and she was delighted by the aborted thrust his hips attempted to give.

“ _Bailey-_ “ He whined. “Don’t tease.”

She huffed softly and nodded, moving to position herself properly but then she stilled because they hadn’t grabbed a condom. She didn’t voice her concern, even if it really wasn’t an _actual_ concern. She swallowed hard and looked to Steve and the blond seemed to understand what had stopped her.

He smiled at her warmly and murmured, “I’m okay without if you are.”

She thought about that for a moment, because yeah, she _was_ okay without it. Steve was here now and he knew about James and he was _still here_. “ _Okay_ ,” She found herself whispering and the blond’s answering smile could have lit up a room.

He squeezed her hips lightly and she leaned down to kiss him at the same time she pressed the head of his cock against her cunt. There was resistance at first, of course there was. He’d only had two fingers inside of her earlier and it’d been a _long_ time since she’d had anything else in of her. A fact she was actually quite proud of.

She moaned at the same time Steve let out a sharp grunt, the head of his cock popping inside so suddenly it had them both tightening their grasp on one another.

“There you go,” Bucky murmured and they both shivered at the sound of his voice.

He was clearly just as affected as they were at this point.

“ _Bailey-_ “ Steve all but whimpered as she slowly sank down on him, his cock disappearing inch by glorious inch inside of her clenching core.

She whimpered against his lips but then she was shoving herself up properly, her hands digging little furrows into his obscenely rounded pecs as she rocked back onto his cock. She’d already let go of him the moment he’d started to sink inside and she was more than half way now, she thought she was anyway.

Turns out she still had more than she had anticipated to take and when she pressed herself down onto him firm and sure, the absolutely filthy shout she let loos when she finally came flush with his pelvis had Bucky grunting and carding careful fingers through her head, tugging her head to the side so that he could kiss her.

Steve was whimpering and shuddering hard beneath her, but he managed to collect himself long enough to smooth his hands down her thighs and back up along her hips to settle at her sides, wanting to help guide her in her movements the moment she was ready for him.

He watched Bucky kiss her, her lips parted and soft pants escaping her. She could barely find the energy to kiss him back, too busy whimpering and shaking apart with each twitch of the blond’s cock inside her.

“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, doll. Knew you would be,” Bucky all but snarled, startling a gasp from her as he broke away from her lips and dropped his hand from her hair.

“ _Bucky-_ “ Steve whined, trying very clearly not to thrust up into her.

“I know, baby doll. Want me to get in you before we get going? _Hmm?_ ” Bucky asked, already shifting back to snatch up the line one more time to coat his cock.

“ _Yes,_ ** _please_** , Buck. I-I need you too,” Steve confessed and Bailey whimpered softly and couldn’t help rocking helplessly in his lap, his cock pressing against all the most sensitive parts of her.

Steve’s startled shout was music to her ears and she tried desperately to still her hips as Bucky placed a hand at her back and whispered in her ear. “I’m going to get in him, honey. But you gotta’ lean forward for me for a sec. He’s already so open, never can go long without a cock in him,” Bucky chuckled and it was teasing and condescending but all it made Steve do was whine in aroused mortification.

She was nodding quickly, however, and soon she was leaning forward enough for Bucky to get himself situated. She really couldn’t stop herself from looking over her shoulder for a moment, however, to see Bucky caressing along Steve’s hips before pushing his legs open wider and pressing in nice and close, the blond’s thighs pressed tightly up against his hips now, pretty well _demanding_ that he stay.

Bucky wasn’t exactly about to go anywhere.

He glanced up in the next moment and Bucky nodded his head forwards. “You’re going’ta want to watch his face, doll,” He explained and Bailey swallowed thickly before returning her gaze to the blond beneath her.

Steve was licking his lips almost compulsively, the tendons in his neck standing out and there was a glorious sheen of sweat covering his chest, his abs, the muscles tensing and jumping almost constantly at this point. But then Bucky clearly got himself situated and in the next moment Steve’s jaw was dropping open and she could practically _see_ the moment he started to pressing into him, the silent moan getting trapped in his throat.

Bucky was far more vocal about it, groaning lowly, practically panting with the pleasure while Steve threw his head back, his eyes scrunched shut and that gorgeous blush _racing_ down his throat, over his chest.

She moaned weakly at the sight and shivered when she felt Steve’s cock _pulsing_ inside of her. He was driving her mad and he wasn’t even _moving._

Bucky let out a deep contented sigh at her back and she bit down on her lower lip as Steve seemed to finally find his voice, a desperate whine escaping him.

“ _Stevie_ , how you’re so goddamn tight every time, I’ll never know,” Bucky mumbled, watching the blond over Bailey’s shoulder.

“ _Oh, God,_ ” Steve gasped. “You’ve got to move, _please_ , one of you has to _move._ ”

Barely a moment were those words past his lips before she was lifting herself up and then fucking herself back down onto his perfect cock, her desperate moan overshadowed by Steve’s hoarse cry.

Steve cried out, grip on her hips turning near vice like and Bucky couldn’t fucking take it anymore. He shoved Steve’s thighs up, pressing them up close to Bailey’s back, the muscles there hidden beneath all that flawless pale skin rippling and shining with sweat. She was gorgeous like this and Bucky couldn’t help letting his gaze wander down to where he could just barely see her pussy stretching wide around Steve’s girth as she leaned forward.

He grunted at the wave of arousal the sight provoked in him and soon he was rocking desperately into Steve’s tight heat. He wanted to give him time to adjust but he was feeling a little strung out at this point. They could go slow later. They needed too much right now for that.

Bailey gasped when she felt Steve’s body being jostled by the sheer force of Bucky’s thrusts. Bucky was strong, she knew that but to have that strength at her back made her want to moan and show her belly. Steve was writhing beneath her and she tried to keep fucking herself down onto him, truly she did, but she was feeling so overwhelmed and _good_ and she wasn’t sure she could do much more than grind down onto his drooling cock.

“ _Bailey-_ “ Steve whimpered, his hands skating up along her ribs, the warmth of them caressing over her breasts. “ _Honey_.”

She whimpered softly and looked down at him through heavy-lidded eyes, but then he was just as soon dropping her hands back to her hips and lifting her almost entirely off of his cock. She whined, thinking he was going to pull out and clenched down, nails raking along his chest and making him kiss. He dropped her, letting gravity do most of the work for her and then did it again.

“ _Oh_ , _oh_ , _oh-_ “ She choked, little desperate noises escaping her as he started guiding her movements, helping her along and it was so fucking good.

“ _Steve-_ “ She whined, gasping out as he dropped her harder than before.

She tipped her head back and was met with Bucky’s near feral growl in her ear. She shivered at the sound and turned to try and see if she could see him and found him leaning in close to her shoulder and he was far from idle.

Steve was still being rocked by the force of his thrusts but it was clear the blond was bracing himself so as not to move her too much. But there was so much _power_ behind Bucky’s thrusts and the sound of skin meeting was loud in the otherwise quiet bedroom. They were all breathing heavily and Bucky’s hoarse exhale against the side of her face a moment later had her hissing in a breath and holding it.

He was just _so close_.

“’S it feel good, doll? You feel full, Bailey? He’s got such a pretty cock, I bet it feels fuckin’ fantastic,” He said teasingly, a soft grunt escaping him when Steve clenched down around his length.

He slapped at Steve’s hip and the blond whined loudly, arching up beneath them and pulling Bailey down onto his cock and _grinding_ into her tight heat.

“Y-yes!” She mewled. “ _Oh,_ it’s so-“ She groaned as Steve started helping her move again, cutting off her words in favour of hearing her pretty moans.

Bucky huffed and picked up the pace, because yeah it was good, he knew.

Steve’s eyes were wide open now, despite the steadily rising pleasure coursing through him, he desperately wanted to see her fall apart for him again, wanted to see Bucky watch them fall apart. Bucky saw him gazing up at her, eyes darting between himself and Bailey and he breathed out roughly and then shifted the angle, hiking up Steve’s right thigh just that much more.

The change in angle had Steve shouting, eyes practically rolling back into his head, his hands clenching at Bailey’s hips as he held onto her tightly, suddenly unable to help her do anything but stay pinned on his cock.

She whined in startled surprise and she could swear she _felt_ Bucky’s pleased rumble at her back with the way he was now tucked in just that much closer.

“ _Yeah,_ that’s it, Stevie,” Bucky muttered and then hissed when Steve clenched down on him, his cock pulsing so deep inside of Bailey.

She whined and squirmed against his grip, wanting to rock and grind and just _move_. He could do nothing more than hold her though, shoving himself inside of her as deep as he could possibly go. She felt dizzy with it, a near constant moan escaping her as she scratched weakly down his chest.

“I-I want to come,” She whined, desperate with the need to rub her clit against something, anything.

Steve exhaled sharply through clenched teeth and forced his eyes back up to her. He could see her struggling against his grip and although he knew she was strong, she wasn’t _that_ strong. He grunted as she scratched at his chest again, this time catching on his nipple and without thinking much of it, he was shifting his grip on her hip just a little lower, enough that he could swipe his thumb against her clit.

She _whined_ so high and breathy and now he was truly having to keep her pinned on his cock because she was trying so desperately to rock against him and with Bucky hammering his prostate, it was going to be far too much for him.

Apparently Bucky didn’t get the memo, grunting softly as he nipped lightly at the back of Bailey’s shoulder. “Go on, Stevie. Make her come and I’ll let you come, baby.”

Steve whimpered and nodded, near delirious with pleasure because yeah, _yeah_ he wanted to come, wanted to feel her come on his cock, feel her tighten up around him. _God_ , but he could remember how that felt as if it were yesterday.

He didn’t waste any time as he started rubbing tight little circles against her sensitive clit and when she planted her hands on his stomach and ground down on him in tight little circles of her own, no longer actively trying to fuck herself on his cock, but simply _taking_ it how he gave it to her, Steve wasn’t sure he could last if she didn’t come in the next thirty-seconds.

“ _Bailey_ ,” He whined, looking up at her with wide pleading eyes. “Come on, honey. W-want you to come for me, baby.”

She whimpered, still desperately moving against him. She was so close and she _wanted_ to come, _wanted_ to come for _him_. She bit down on her lower lip as she looked at him through the curtain of her dark hair, through heavy lidded eyes and pink parted lips.

She felt Bucky’s warm breath at her shoulder, raising goosebumps along her skin before he nipped at her again, the first time having been a shock on its own, but this time? _Oh boy_. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss against her flesh and panted hard against her shoulder.

“Go on, honey,” He breathed. “Know you want to. Come on his pretty cock and he’ll fill you up so sweetly-“

She cut him off with a low whine and it barely took another couple of teasing circles against her clit before she was coming hard, entire body tensing, _tightening_ as her orgasm rocked through her. She distantly knew she could hear herself whining and she honestly didn’t even feel embarrassed by the sheer amount of noises she’d been making. It all just felt so damn good.

No sooner had she started to come, unconsciously curling down over Steve’s form, did he too let go. He’d been on the edge for so long already, body bowstring taut as he’d tried to hold himself back, but Bucky said-

“ _That’s it, doll_ ,” Bucky groaned, seeing the gorgeous way she fell apart right there in front of him, her sweet whines and startled shout only making him pick up the pace and now that she wasn’t upright, he knew he could fuck Steve properly.

Bucky could already feel Steve’s hole spasming around his cock, practically dragging his own orgasm from him as he adjusted his grip on his lovers hips and fucked him hard and fast. It took nothing for him to fall over that ledge a few brutal thrusts later, Steve’s legs shaking from his pleasure and their position, no doubt.

But all Bucky could focus on was the blissful release and it was honestly like a punch to the gut every time but this time was different, this time when he slumped forward as he rode out his orgasm as if to curl over his husband, he slumped forward only far enough to press his lips to Bailey’s back.

She shivered with pleasure at the press of his mouth, still coming down and Bucky knew she must have clenched up around Steve because he immediately had the blond clenching up around him; a feedback loop he was all too happy to be a part of.

Steve groaned softly as his body went slack all at once, the last waves of his orgasm petering out and leaving him sated and exhausted. Bailey seemed to be much in the same state, quick breaths slowing as she buried her face in the hollow of his throat. She could feel the warmth, the slight weight of Bucky at her back, pressed close, his mouth still very much lazily kissing at her back. It made her want to sigh and preen under the attention.

“ _Mmm_ ,” She found herself sighing and Steve chuckled softly beneath her and it warmed a space in her heart to be able to feel that rumble, to know that she’d caused it.

He exhaled shakily and she lifted her head a bit to look at him and blurted, “I love you so much.”

Steve’s face twisted at the words and it wasn’t an ugly twist, it was just a raw, pure reaction as he fought against the wave of emotion that evoked in him. His bright blue eyes filled with tears and he gingerly cupped her cheeks in his big, perfect hands and claimed her lips in a trembling kiss.

Bucky watched them, giving them a moment before he lightly caressed at first her hip and then Steve’s, moving to sit up a bit better on his knees. Their kiss broke, but Steve’s lips found her forehead and Bucky let them breathe in each others space as he slowly pulled himself from Steve’s warmth.

He whimpered softly at the feeling of Bucky pulling out, lashes fluttering and body shaking, but Bailey was there to soothe him with sweet kisses and soft praise and when Bucky laid down beside them, close enough to kiss, Steve wasted no time in doing so.

Bailey watched them share lazy kisses for a long moment, still settled over Steve with him insider her. She could feel him softening though and she tried not to squirm as his cock started to slip from her warmth.

They both let out gasps when he finally slipped free but when she went to lie down on his other side, Steve stilled her and met her gaze. “I love you too, Bailey,” He murmured, gently nuzzling his nose against hers before kissing her lightly.

She melted a little more against him, letting out a shaky breath and pressed a gentle kiss to his chin. She swore she could feel Bucky’s gaze on her, on them and she glanced over at him with her cheek now pressed to Steve’s chest, the steady beating of his heart calming her like nothing else could; save for her James.

“You’re beautiful together,” Bucky whispered, reaching out and gently pushing some of her long hair aside to reveal more of her pretty face.

Her lashes fluttered at the gesture and she smiled a little shyly. “And you two are so damn hot together it’s criminal.”

The both barked out surprised laughs at that and Bailey grinned at them as Steve jostled her with his laughter. “Trouble,” Bucky sighed again, rolling onto his back and looking up at the ceiling with a ridiculous grin on his face.

Bailey hummed and Steve beamed at them both. “Love you, Buck,” He sighed and when the brunet smiled and turned to look at his husband, a quiet, _I love you too, Stevie_ , whispered between them, Bailey couldn’t resist smiling warmly back at Bucky when he turned his attention on her and whispering, “And I like you, Bucky.”

Bucky’s only response was to beam at her and roll back closer to press a sweet kiss to her pink lips. “Like you too, doll,” He murmured after their kiss ended. “Now how about we go and take a shower?”

There were protesting groans but reluctant sighs, because yeah, getting clean sounded like an awesome idea, even if they didn’t exactly want to move right then.

They did manage to pull themselves from the bed eventually though and after a warm shower, more soft kisses and soothing caresses, they fell back into bed together and within minutes they were falling asleep in each others arms.

.

“Pancakes or waffles?” Steve called over his shoulder, Bailey and Bucky wandering into the kitchen in pyjamas and looking sleepy and at easy if not a bit grumpy.

“How are you even awake right now?” She sighed, sliding onto a stool at the kitchen island.

Steve and Bucky both chuckled. “Rises with the sun, basically,” Bucky told her and she rolled her eyes when Steve’s blinding grin sort of confirmed that for her.

“Waffles,” She mumbled and Bucky snickered at her side, very much still sleepy himself.

“Seconded-“ He agreed and Steve smirked and turned to get out the waffle maker.

Not twenty minutes later they were sitting down to a lovely breakfast of waffles with strawberries, diced apples, grapes, whipped cream, maple syrup, orange juice and fresh steaming cups of coffee, Bailey thought that she ought to give Peter a text and see if James was doing alright. James _did_ tend to wake up earlier than Bailey usually liked.

Just as she opened her mouth to maybe ask Jarvis to send him a message, however, did the door to the apartment open. She smiled, already turning in anticipation of seeing her son looking all sleep rumpled and sweet and he was and she knew distantly that Steve and Bucky were looking over at the doorway too. But she was a little preoccupied when James shouted, “ _Mommy!_ ”

She laughed, getting up off her stool and walking towards the door where she could see James, Peter, Ned and MJ, along with Tony…Sam, Clint, Natasha, Bruce and even Thor and of course Jack, who was happily trotting along beside James, tail wagging excitedly.

“Hi, honey,” She called, laughing as she bent down to catch him as he practically launched himself at her. “Did you have fun?”

“I did!” He squeaked and she scrunched up her nose when it came out near deafening.

The others were laughing lightly as they joined them in the kitchen, Bruce and Nat making their way to the counter to make more waffles and items of the breakfast variety for the larger group.

“That’s great, sweetheart,” Bailey chuckled, caressing a hand lightly through James’ bedhead. “I’m glad you had such a good time and thanks so much, Peter for looking after him.”

“It was really no trouble, Bailey. He was great and we honestly had a lot of fun. I’m pretty sure now we can recite all of the _Frozen_ songs now,” Peter laughed and Bailey grinned wryly.

“I know how that is,” She chuckled and startled a little when James squirmed in her grasp.

She readjusted her grip on him as he pulled back, bracing his small hands against her chest as he looked at her with big round eyes and asked, “Did it work?”

Bailey’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Did what work, honey?”

James squirmed even _more_ then, twisting to look at where Steve and Bucky were smiling a little nervously at the pair. “Their _plan!_ ” He exclaimed, sounding _very_ exasperated. “Their plan to get you to fall in love with Daddy all _over_ again!”

Bailey’s lips parted, jaw dropping open in surprise. She turned very slowly to look at the pair…who were _both_ blushing.

“You _knew?_ ” She squeaked in surprise, looking back at her son with wide eyes and a matching blush.

“ _Yes!_ _I helped make the_ ** _plan_** _-_ “ He shouted, only a little deafening that time.

“You weren’t supposed to tell her, pal,” Bucky snickered and Bailey bit her lower lip, looking over at Steve who was smiling, even if he did look rather embarrassed by it all.

“But I _had_ to _know!_ ” James said in frustration. “So? Did it work?” He asked excitedly, turning back to his mother.

Bailey was still blushing hotly and she knew the others were all grinning and watching and really, it didn’t bother her in the slightest. She took a deep breath and kissed her sons nose lightly. “Yes, sweetheart, it worked. Though I’m pretty sure I was already in love with your Daddy…and I’m quite fond of Daddy Bucky too.”

The sound both men let out at her admission was almost entirely drowned out by James’ entirely too loud squeal of happiness. He threw his arms around her and squeezed her so tight and all she could do was wheeze a soft laugh and hold him back just as tight.

And when the others merely chuckled and congratulated them on working things out, a few teasing remarks thrown in here and there for good measure, they settled down in the kitchen and started on breakfast together.

And a little later, when everyone was seated at the table, laughing and smiling and enjoying their breakfasts, she let her gaze wander over to where Bucky was sitting with James on his lap. The brunet was teaching him how to build a waffle house with toothpicks and well, _waffles_ and all she could do was smile and let her gaze seek out Steve; who was watching it happen-same as she-a _very_ emotional look on his face and maybe a few tears shining in his eyes.

She got up from her spot and walked around the island to him, cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. His eyes were already on her before she’d gotten to him and when she stepped up into his space, his hands fell to her hips. They shared a private smile and when Steve ducked his head to press a kiss to her forehead, her lashes fluttering and absolute _peace_ settled over her…she knew that she’d finally found it, found her family, found _Elysian._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on Discord starbucksjunkie#9171 or Tumblr [layora88](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/layora88) and I'm on TikTok as layora88 just for fun <3
> 
> Thanks again everyone for reading and helping to support me on here. <3 I'm very blessed and I wish everyone safe, happy and healthy lives. xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me on Discord! starbucksjunkie#9171
> 
> Don't have Discord? Come talk to me on Tumblr! [ko-fiandfanfiction](www.tumblr.com/blog/layora88)
> 
> I'm also on TikTok as layora88


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